Commonwealth Games to showcase India: Selja

Commonwealth Games 2010 has given an opportunity to showcase India as a unique and hospitable tourism destination, Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said Thursday.

‘Commonwealth Games have given an opportunity for showcasing India as a unique and hospitable tourism destination. It is expected that a large number of tourists would visit the country next year bringing back the buoyancy in the sector,’ she said, addressing a summit on ‘Tourism: Tackling the Global Crisis’ in London.

Around 80 tourism ministers from across the world are addressing the summit, organised by the United Nations’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – a specialised agency of the United Nations and the leading international organisation in the field of tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how.

Selja said her ministry has been working towards developing adequate accommodation, sprucing up the tourism infrastructure and enhancing the quality of hospitality related services to make the visit a truly pleasurable and enriching experience for visitors during and after CWG-2010.

The goodwill generated through the successful organisation of this mega-sporting event would enable a sustainable growth of tourism sector, the minister said.

The Commonwealth Games, scheduled from Oct 3 to 14 next year, are expected to attract over 100,000 visitors to India.

Selja also pointed out how the global economic slowdown had a ‘cascading effect on the tourism sector and has adversely affected tourism world over’.

The tourism minister said India has taken several initiatives to meet the challenges posed by the global meltdown challenges.

India has introduced ‘Visit India Year – 2009′ in close partnership with airlines, hotels and tour operators to attract visitors to India from different countries for a repeat visit.

She said they have also launched advertising campaigns and roadshows in key markets.

‘India is also making conscious efforts to develop emerging short and medium haul markets,’ she added.

The minister said they have launched ‘heliport tourism’ to connect remote areas that are not accessible and to promote them through helicopter rides, as well as ‘wellness tourism’ and ‘caravan tourism’.

Caravan tourism, which is a very popular concept abroad, will also be popularised in India and involves the use of a specially-equipped vehicle deployed on a tourist circuit and connecting it by road.

Breathe easy, breathe clean during Commonwealth Games

Athletes and intending visitors can breathe easy about the 2010 Commonwealth Games. India has come up with technology for air quality management even as this city is working on reducing air pollution during the mega event.

This should come as good news for Delhi residents as well. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, has for the first time in the country developed what it calls the System of Air Pollution Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) that will be functioning by April.

‘The system will tell us the quality of air at a given moment and also what it will be 24 hours later, thus alerting people and helping them avoid immediate exposure to unhealthy air,’ Gufran Beig, SAFAR scientist and project director, told IANS.

SAFAR will provide information on air quality on an hourly basis and forecast pollution levels 24 hours in advance through wireless colour digital display panels located at 10 key points in the city during the Games.

‘On any day, if the pollution level is high, the Delhi government might order closing of shops or reducing traffic flow,’ Indian Meteorological Department director Ajit Tyagi told IANS.

Some athletes have hinted at skipping the Games as they fear Delhi air is unsafe to breathe. But the Games Organising Committee says it is committed to ensuring clean air during the Oct 3-14 event, dubbed as the first ever Green Games.

The organisers are confident that the existing traffic density can be reduced drastically by making the quality of public transportation more appealing.

The Indian capital is among the most polluted cities in the world. Its major problem is an ever-growing number of cars, three- and two- wheelers and they occupy a staggering 75 percent of the road space, although only 20 percent of the commuting public use them.

Delhi has over five million vehicles and another one million come to the metropolis from towns in the national capital region in adjoining states.

China had a tough time battling air pollution during the Olympic Games last year and there are doubts whether Delhi can be as effective as Beijing in enforcing traffic curbs, raising emission standards and stopping Games’ construction work well in time to improve air quality.

But India is hard at work to ensure a pollution-free event.

SAFAR will provide the air quality levels in a four-kilometre stretch around the Games village and other major venues. Instruments like ozone and carbon monoxide analysers and real time analysers for various other pollutants would be used for collecting the data.

SAFAR will provide details about oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, black carbon and benzene present in Delhi air.

‘Exposure to the pollutants will affect human health, increased respiratory symptoms, heart and lung diseases, allergies being some of them,’ said Beig.

SAFAR’s inputs will greatly help in identifying the major sources of air pollutants and recommending measures to help improve the air quality.

Only a few developed countries have the technical knowhow to use the system. It was used during the Olympic Games in Beijing and also at the last Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

‘SAFAR will make India one of the few countries to take a big leap in environmental research,’ Beig said.

Will India Win Gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games?

With the start of the Commonwealth Games 2010 less than a year away, questions continue to be asked if India is truly up to the challenge. Over the last several months, there have been mounting concerns from reporters and Commonwealth Games officials that New Delhi is unprepared and seriously behind planning schedule, which has raised doubt on India’s ability to execute the Games in a sound fashion.

For example, Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee, stated at a New Delhi press conference that the “2010 Commonwealth Games (are) on track, Sports Minister MS Gill, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Diskshit are working as a team to deliver a great Games.”

Likewise, in an article posted by dawn.com, it was cited that “2010 Commonwealth Games is facing challenges as game organizers are woefully unprepared. With 11 months till the opening ceremonies, it’s indeed a race against time.

Michael Fennell, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, told the Delhi 2010 executive committee in a letter that preparations were so alarmingly behind schedule that the event was at “serious risk” and cautioned that the image of the games was at stake.

Most recently, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) rebuffed the Commonwealth Games Federation’s (CGF) decision to appoint a high-powered technical panel to monitor the progress of the Games every month, saying there are already too many agencies overseeing the preparations with nearly 40 foreign hired experts to support the games preparations. In another move that could incense the CGF, the Organizing Committee (OC) of the 2010 Games recommended the “repatriation” of CGF chief executive officer Mike Hooper, who has been based in Delhi for two years now.

The decisions were taken after CGF president Michael Fennell, in a strongly-worded statement, listed areas of concern and announced the setting up of the review panel that was to start functioning from January. The CGF had identified concerns on 20 functional areas, but now it has come down to five (ticketing, ceremonies, medical, transport, and technology).

While Delhi is trying to make full efforts to prepare for the much anticipated Commonwealth Games, the government needs to ensure construction sites get on schedule quickly. The 2010 Commonwealth Games is India’s chance to shine as the superpower and global giant it affirms to be. All eyes will be on New Delhi one year from now to see if the country can rise to the occasion and win gold.

1620 crore budgetary boost for 2010 CWG

Hit by delays and escalating cost of infrastructure, the 2010 Commonwealth Games here received a massive budgetary boost on Thursday with the central government allocating Rs 1620 crore as loan to the Organising Committee of the event.

"The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for providing a revised budget of Rs 1620 crore, as loan to the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010, at the prevailing government rate of interest, for organising the CWG at Delhi during October 3 to 14. Budget approved earlier was Rs 767 crore," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Elaborating on the reasons for the budgetary hike, she said rising cost of opening and closing ceremonies, the increase in the number of days for Queen's Baton Relay – from 136 to 240 days for international leg and from 60 to 100 days for domestic leg -- were among the reasons that forced the increased allocation.

"Inclusion of new items that are essential for the successful delivery of the Games but were not provided in the initial budget of the OC, namely accreditation, city operations, sponsorship and TV rights, security, sustainability and environment and ticketing," she said. Cost escalation in respect of accommodation, catering, protocol and CGF relations, Queen's Baton Relay, rent for office of OC, communication, image and look technology, risk management, insurance and technical conduct of sports were also listed as reasons for budgetary hike.

Besides, the Minister said, "the number of volunteers has gone up to nearly 30,000 and the cost of accreditation, catering, uniform etc on this account has also increased.”

Global Television Wins Bid For 2010 Commonwealth Games International Broadcast Centre

Global Television has won a world wide tender to design, install and operate the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

This will be the first time in Commonwealth Games history that the event has been broadcast in High Definition digital, also marking a critical milestone for Indian television.

Australia’s leading and most experienced services provider to the television industry, Global was selected from a tough international field after an intensive three-month evaluation period.

Global delivered the IBC technical build for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and has brought the same team together for Delhi 2010. Global will also work with an on-the-ground Indian partner, Shaf Broadcast.

The IBC is the hub for all Commonwealth Games broadcasting activity, handling incoming television pictures and sound from the host broadcaster, distributing that footage to international rights holders and managing rights holders’ outgoing transmissions.

Global’s track record in providing complex technical broadcast requirements for major international events is well established. In addition to the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Global Television has delivered IBC requirements for the 2007 FINA World Championships (swimming), World Youth Day in 2008 and the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.

Global Television CEO Kerri Thompson said: "The 2010 Commonwealth Games IBC tender is among the most prized on the international broadcasting event calendar.

"As the nucleus of broadcast activity for the competition, the IBC transmits literally thousands of hours of sporting drama, achievement and news to viewers around the world.

"Away from the competition venues, perceptions of the Games’ success will hinge on the quality and timeliness of material beamed home.

"In securing this contract, Global Television is especially proud to showcase the Australian broadcast industry’s capabilities and demonstrate the High Definition digital expertise for which Australia is renowned."

The Delhi Commonwealth Games IBC will house studio and reporting facilities for broadcasters and journalists from around the world. Occupying 8,000 square meters, up to 1,500 broadcast professionals will be based at the IBC.

Global Television begins work on the contract immediately, with a technical team en route to Delhi for briefings this week and to attend the first World Broadcasters Meeting for rights holders.

The XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 will be held from 3rd–14th October next year. Competition will feature 17 sports, with around 8,500 athletes and officials from 71 Commonwealth Games Federation member countries expected to attend.

Shah Rukh wants to perform in CWG opening ceremony

The controversy-marred build-up notwithstanding, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday said next year's Commonwealth Games here would be successful and expressed his desire to perform at the event's opening ceremony.

"God willing, I think India will hold a successful Commonwealth Games. I am confident about that," Khan told reporters on the sidelines of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

Khan said he would love to perform during the opening ceremony of the event at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium and would also come to watch some of the sporting events.

"I would love to perform (in the opening ceremony). It really sounds great. I will come during CWG. Get ready Dilliwalo," he said amid loud cheers from fans.

Khan said it was heartening to see such a large number of people braving the early morning chill to participate in the half marathon.

"I love you Delhiites, you were wonderful and I am overwhelmed," he said.

Khan also urged regular organisation of half marathons in other parts of the country to promote sports and said health permitting, he would participate in next year's half marathon.

"I have never participated in a marathon, but I would definitely love to do so. When I'll feel fit, then I'll come," Khan said.

"Sports is most important after education and we should promote it to the highest level. I love sports and want such events to be organised regularly. During my school days, I was very active in sports," he said.

Another Bollywood actor Rahul Bose said with every passing year, Delhi half marathon is getting bigger.

"This marathon has established itself as a brand and that is recognisable. Through this concept, you are also helping deprived and disadvantaged people of the society in a novel way," Bose said.

Sebastian Coe backs Cardiff Commonwealth Games bid

Sebastian Coe today backed Cardiff's bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, claiming that they stand a good chance.

The chairman of London 2012 said: "Wales is beginning to get a reputation for very high quality event management."

In recent years Cardiff has gained an impressive reputation for attracting and hosting major sporting events, including the Rugby World Cup final, FA Cup finals, world championship boxing and rallying, Grand Prix speedway and Ashes Test cricket.

The Ryder Cup will be held at the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport, next year.

The Commonwealth Games, however, would be the biggest sporting event ever hosted in Wales, with 71 teams from around the world and over 5,000 athletes.

The Welsh capital would be the central base for the Games, but facilities in both Swansea and Newport would also be used, under plans announced last month.

Coe told BBC Wales: "[Hosting the Games] It's not that far-fetched.

"If they have a really good coordinated programme, and obviously political and sporting support, you could see Wales do that again."