A day of high profile visits at the Games Village

It was another day of frenetic activity at the Commonwealth Games Village as top-ranking officials continued to drop in for inspections throughout Friday. Early on a sunny day, at 8:50 am, OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi and vice chairman Randhir Singh entered, and along with CGF president Mike Fennell,
they took stock of the arrangements at the Village. Fennell later said that “considerable improvements” had been made and things were rapidly improving.

Later in the day, CGF CEO Mike Hooper held a meeting with the chiefs of mission of various countries in the International Zone. OC director-general VK Verma said there was a “positive response,” even though HT sources indicated otherwise. But after the meet ended, Kalmadi was seen asking volunteers how the media had been allowed inside, after which Shera banners were hastily installed to keep prying eyes and cameras out.

England's chef de mission Craig Hunter also visited the Village and looked happy with the arrangements. “It's a great Games Village. The venues are world-class and we are looking at getting the rest of the team out there,” he said. British High Commissioner Richard Stagg also visited the Village.

In the afternoon, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit made an impromptu appearance at the Village. She pulled in at 3:20pm and was kept waiting for close to 15 minutes, as there were no golf carts to ferry her around. She also spent an hour inside the athletes' quarters before leaving. “The conditions have definitely improved here. Though the stagnant water in the basements is a tougher problem, we have enough repellants to ensure that mosquitoes do not bite and infect the residents here. There are people here who will work throughout the night (on Friday) to ensure that everything happens on time,” she said.

When she was asked about teams choosing to stay in different hotels instead of the Village, Dixit said, “They're welcome here anytime to see what the state of the accommodation is.” She also said that some residential towers had become easier to clean after professional help was brought in.

The next high profile entry was made by Delhi Police Commissioner, YS Dadwal, who said that security, arranged by his force, was top-notch.

Welsh flags, the only visible sign of an international presence in the residential zone, fluttered outside flats in a tower. Inside the International Zone, it wasn't business as usual, as no athletes have arrived.

The merchandise shop wore a deserted look, as did the hair salon and general store. Some delegates ambled around the area, but apart from them, the place mostly buzzed with camerapersons and news crews looking for stories.

Confusion, lack of information make life tough

There is total chaos in the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. With the Games Village being the focal point of top OC officials, all other pressing operational works have taken a backseat. Such is the confusion and lack of coordination that even the media is finding it difficult to get simple
information like the arrival of teams in the Village. There is no press release and no one seems to know what's happening. Even the media centre at the Village does not have a clue on who all have checked in and when the new arrivals are expected. No one knows when the teams are practicing and where.

Kalmadi can't be removed

Contrary to reports, Suresh Kalmadi is still the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman and according to sources, he cannot be removed, at least for now. "We have a written agreement between the OC, the CGF and the government that the OC would deliver the Games with Kalmadi as the chief," said a source. Also, since he is an elected member of an Indian Olympic Association, he cannot be asked to quit undemocratically.

Get cracking, says PM

In a late-night meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who met Sports Minister MS Gill, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy, Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, apparently told the ministers to not blame each other but concentrate on the more pressing issues at hand.

Media centre, a breath of fresh air

Entering the Main Press Centre for the Commonwealth Games was a breath of fresh air. The site will be the nerve-centre and second home for over 2000 print, online and broadcast journalists who are expected to cover the event. Walking into the centre on a warm Friday afternoon, a rarity these days,
the well laid out, spacious and cool interiors came as more than a pleasant surprise.

Wired Up

For print and photo journalists, filing stories from the press centre should not be a problem. Apart from the fact that most parts of the building are wireless enabled, there are also 300 workstations connected to a local area network with high-speed internet access. The workstations are all connected to printers as well. Also, there are plenty of laptop stations.

Coverage and information

The centre houses eight viewing rooms, where live feeds of the various disciplines will be screened on large TVs. Each room can seat at least 50 people. Information screens have been set up all around the site, which will display upcoming events, schedules as well as results. There is a large press conference hall, as well as smaller briefing rooms, and special rooms for pre-arranged one on one interviews.

Food and Drink

Outside the small village that is the media centre is being built a large food court that will serve cuisines from around the world, around the clock, to keep the army of journalists fuelled and ready. And since all good journalists enjoy a tipple, a bar is also in the final stages of completion!

India cautions world to show 'respect' in Commonwealth Games criticisms

India's industry minister is lashing out at critics of his country's readiness to host the Commonwealth Games, warning potential trade partners to treat the emerging economic powerhouse with "respect."

With the United States still limping from its worst recession in decades, countries such as Canada are looking to expand their trade ties with the world's two fastest growing major economies: China and India. But as Canada tries to gain access to these massive emerging markets, it must not only surmount traditional trade barriers, but also deep cultural differences and the perception in some quarters that China and India have been snubbed by the traditional club of rich western nations.

At a news conference Friday to promote trade talks with Canada, India's commerce and industry minister, Anand Sharma, rejected international criticism of the upcoming Commonwealth Games as "unwarranted" and "unfair."

"There is no major project anywhere which is concluded to perfection," Sharma told reporters, noting that Canada has faced similar criticism in the past when hosting global events. "Trying to run down the country is not acceptable to us."

He was responding to a stream of complaints in recent days about the facilities at the Commonwealth Games, due to kick off Oct. 3 in Delhi. Officials from participating countries have described the athletes' village as filthy and unsafe, and athletes from several countries, including Canada, have threatened to skip the games.

The scramble by India to prepare for the games, meant to showcase the country's emergence as a major power, stands in stark contrast to the impressive display of technology and organization shown by Beijing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 summer Olympics.

Sharma bristled at the suggestion that India would fail to welcome guests in an appropriate manner.

"We have very rich cultural traditions, and we know how to receive our guests. Our guests will be welcomed, and the Commonwealth Games will be rejoiced and remembered."

Sharma reminded India's trade partners there could be economic consequences for those who find fault with the games facilities. "It would be a mistake not to engage with India with respect, and when it comes to business, whose loss (would it) be?" said Sharma.

The remarks come as Canada and India set the stage for a free-trade agreement between the two countries, a deal that could take years to negotiate but that officials estimate could eventually generate an additional $6 billion to $15 billion every year in output for the Canadian economy.

After being chided by trade experts for ignoring India's growing economic clout, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has recently ramped up its efforts to woo the world's second fastest growing major economy. Last November, Harper paid his first visit to India as prime minister. Then, at this summer's G20 summit in June, the two sides signed a deal that paves the way for Canada to sell uranium and civilian nuclear technology to India.

This week, federal Trade Minister Peter Van Loan identified a free-trade deal with India as one of his top priorities, along with maintaining close ties with the United States and inking a trade agreement with the European Union. But on Friday, he could not provide a date for the formal launch of negotiations with India on a trade pact.

The two sides unveiled a joint study that underscores both the opportunities and challenges of a trade agreement between Canada and India, which will likely take several years to finalize.

The report notes that Canada's total trade with India in 2008 reached $4 billion U.S., a small proportion of the $865 billion U.S. in total merchandise trade that Canada did that year. "It appears that the India-Canada trade relationship is significantly under-traded," it states.

New Zealand confirms Commonwealth Games participation

New Zealand has confirmed that they will athletes to the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, meaning that the Sevens team will be able to try and keep their perfect record, having won every Sevens Gold on offer since the sport was introduced at Kuala Lumpur in the 1998 Games.

However the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has said that the situation will be reviewed daily.

The decision was announced at a press conference by NZOC president Mike Stanley and secretary-general Barry Maister.

Both men have just returned from India to inspect facilities first hand before briefing the NZOC board.

"We remain hopeful that things can be turned around," Mr Stanley said.

"What we found was inexcusable and unacceptable but we've seen a change in leadership and this is positive."

New Zealand athletes are scheduled to arrive in New Delhi from September 28, and amidst concerns over player safety and conditions, Mr Stanley said that it was clear that the Indian Government had made significant progress in recent days.

The Chief Minister of Delhi had brought in 40 of her top administrators after recent issues were made public over the condition of the athletes village.

The NZOC board said the group of nearly 200 athletes would filter into Delhi on Tuesday, and advised them where possible to delay arrival to give the locals maximum time to get ready for the Games, scheduled to commence with the opening ceremony on October 3.

Gordon Tietjens and the team are assembling at the end of the month, with a injury replacement for Adam Thomson still to be named. They will then travel to Dubai on October 1, before heading to India.

The Sevens component of the games will be held at Delhi University on October 11 and 12.

New Zealand has won three consecutive Gold's at the Games since it was introduced, and have not lost a match at the games. Their first Gold medal success, won in Kuala Lumpur, was New Zealand's 100th Commonwealth Games medal.

They will enter as top seeds and head Pool A, where they will face opening matches against World Series regulars Scotland and Canada as well as Caribbean champions Guyana, who also competed on the World Series this season in Las Vegas.

Australia team to move to Games Village on September 27

Australian Commonwealth Games Chief, Perry Crosswhite, indicated here today that the Australian contingent would be ready to move into the Games Village on September 27.

He stated this after visiting the Games Village, where a massive clean-up operation is underway. "We were quite happy with the Village. We are happy to live there and we are looking forward to the Games," said Crosswhite.

A number of countries have sent advance teams to take stock of the situation on the ground following reports of housing compounds that were not ready.

With only nine days to go, security has been tightened in and around the venues, the Games Village as well as throughout the capital.

Sniffer dogs were deployed around the Games Village along with police who patrolled the facility.

Security concerns are also high on the list after two Taiwanese journalists were shot and wounded by unknown assailants at the weekend in Delhi.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games, which kicks off on October 3, is India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.

India is expecting about two million tourists in New Delhi for the Games, as well as about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.

Commonwealth shame: IOC president Jacques Rogge says give India a chance

India's potential for hosting future Olympics should not be written off before giving embattled New Delhi organisers a chance to pull off the Commonwealth Games with a "last-ditch" effort, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said in an interview today.

Rogge told The Associated Press that he hopes India can come through, just as Greek organisers overcame "doomsday scenarios" to stage the successful 2004 Athens Olympics despite severe construction delays and political wrangling.

The International Olympic Committee leader will travel to New Delhi next week to attend the October 3 opening of the Commonwealth Games, which were put at risk this week by filthy conditions at the athletes' village, a pedestrian bridge collapse and health and security concerns.

The chaotic preparations have seemingly doomed India's hopes of bidding for the 2020 Olympics, but Rogge said it was too early to rule the country out.

"I think I can hardly make a judgment before the Games have even started," Rogge said. "Let's give them the chance to prove they can stage good Games. It would be with a last-ditch effort and it probably would be costly, but let's hope they can fulfil that.

"Hopefully the Indians can pull out a last-ditch effort like the Greeks have done," he said.

The Commonwealth Games, an Olympic-style multi-sports event bringing together more than 7,000 athletes from 71 countries and territories, was meant to underline India's emergence as an Asian power on the world stage and serve as a platform for an Olympic bid.

"It's far too premature to discuss this," Rogge said. "This is something that has to be seen by the Indians themselves. There is no doubt they will make an analysis of the games. They will have to see if their original intentions can be kept or not."

Corruption scandals, delays in getting facilities ready and squalid conditions at the athletes' village have turned the event into an embarrassment for India - even raising the prospect of the Games being called off or of teams refusing to attend.