New Delhi launches no peeing in public campaign

The Indian capital has launched a campaign to discourage urinating in public places -- a common sight across the country.The city of New Delhi, which is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in October of next year, will soon be displaying large billboards along its gridlocked roads and on buses in a bid to embarrass those who urinate in public to end the practice, said Mayor Kanwar Sain.

The signs will feature three characters: Mr Thu-Thu Kumar (the spitter), Mr Kuda Kumar (the litterbug) and Mr Su-Su Kumar (the person who pees in public).

"The capital of India must be clean. We see how clean are places like Singapore. Then, why not Delhi?" Sain said.

Authorities will launch a similar campaign on television and radio, he said.

Urinating, spitting and littering in public are acts punishable with a fine of $10 or more in New Delhi.

Deep Mathur, the spokesman for the city's municipal corporation, said offenders had been prosecuted. He could not provide immediate figures about prosecutions aimed at sanitation control.

Bindeshwar Pathak, India's winner of the Stockholm Water Prize, which is awarded to those who contribute to the conservation and protection of water resources, welcomed the new campaign as a motivation for a cleaner Delhi. Nonetheless, he said India's capital needed at least 40,000 more well-maintained urinals and bathrooms.

Countrywide, India must build 112,000 toilets every day if it wants to meet its sanitation goal by 2012, according to the ministry of rural development.

Even as the South Asian nation emerges as a global economic power, millions of its citizens still live in poverty.

The government estimates that less than 30 percent of villagers have access to latrines, which poses serious health risks.

"Indians are clean individually, but community-wise their habits have not been very encouraging," said Pathak, who is credited with improving sanitation across cities, villages and slums. "Things, however, are changing now."

Beatrice Faumuina qualified for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi

Beatrice Faumuina qualified for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year with her first foray of the season yesterday.Competing at the Battle of the Cities meeting at North Shore's Sovereign Stadium, in far from ideal conditions, the 1997 world champion was out to 56.09m, just over the performance standard for the Games of 56m.

Faumuina, gold medallist in the discus at the 1998 Kuala Lumpur and the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, was extremely pleased.

"In today's conditions pretty rapt with it. It was my first outing in months, so I'm very happy," she said.

Instead of training over winter offshore, Faumuina and her coach Ross Dallow decided on a solid build-up in Auckland.

"We made the decision really early that it was a good idea to stay home and have a really heavy winter and I haven't even backed off that phase yet as much as I'd like to," she added.

Faumuina is ranked 44th in the world and third in the Commonwealth this year with her New Zealand title throw of 60.03m in Wellington in March.

A total of 100 women athletes in the world have thrown over 56m this year but only nine in the Commonwealth.

Australia's Dani Samuels, who won the world title at Berlin in August, heads the Commonwealth rankings with her title-winning throw of 65.44m.

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Faumuina was fourth with a throw of 59.12m - well below her best - when she was expected to medal. At the Beijing Olympic Games she failed to make the final, finishing 28th.

She has also been a controversial figure. Her fourth at Melbourne did not go down well but it was her behaviour at Beijing that caused most upset.

She became embroiled in a strange exchange with media and then agitated to go home early, rather than staying to support the team.

Dave Currie, the New Zealand team chef de mission, said she had to pay her own way home, upsetting Faumuina.

Currie said at the time all the New Zealand athletes were booked to fly home on a charter flight - as a team.

Those with post-Olympic competitions, such as professional football player Ryan Nelsen and road cyclist Julian Dean, had arranged to leave early before the games. Otherwise, athletes were meant to remain in Beijing as part of the team and travel home together, Currie said.

"People support you and you go out and support your mates," Currie said. "If Beatrice has gone, you'd have to say you're disappointed with her, but once somebody's gone, she's gone. The key right now is the team providing support for each other."

Bindra calls on volunteers to showcase Indian values at Commonwealth Games

Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra today called on the volunteers for next year's Commonwealth Games to put the best foot forward and said each of their efforts will go a long way in showcasing Indian hospitality and values.

Bindra, the lone Indian to win an individual gold at the Olympics, was here at the launch of 'Delhi United', a programme aimed at recruiting more than 30,000 volunteers for the October 3-14 multi-sports extravaganza.

''Volunteers are the backbone for any successful Games and I can say that because I have been to three of those,'' said Bindra.

Bindra, who won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics last year, also had an anectode to share about the his experience with volunteers during his record-breaking feet.

''There were two volunteers assigned to take care of the Indian Olympic team and both of them were there when I won the Gold medal.

''After I won the Gold medal, they gave me a card written in Hindi and I still have that card framed at my home along side the Gold medal,'' recalled the ace marksman.

A number of volunteers have already signed up for the mega event and the Organising Committee is aiming to have as many as 30,000 of them.

Also present at the occasion were Sports Secretary Sindhushree Khullar and Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi who said the the volunteers will be the real face of the country during the Games.

''Volunteers are not only the face of the Games but the also the heart of the Games,'' Khullar said.

''I am confident that our volunteers would contribute immensely towards ensuring that we host a great Games next year,'' Kalmadi said.

My confidence stems from the fact that around 200 volunteers who helped us during the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly did a great job and passed the test with flying colours,'' he added.

Five categories of volunteers - senior citizens, professionals, homemakers, differently-abled and international - were registered during the programme.

To facilitate easy registration of the volunteer, the Organising Committee also launched a special interactive web portal (www.cwgdelhi2010.org/delhiunited) which will allow interested citizens to log on to the portal and fill in their registration forms online.

CWG volunteers programme launched

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) on Friday launched ‘Delhi United,’ a programme aimed at recruiting 30,000 volunteers for the mega event.

Launching the logo and the website of the programme on the eve of the International Volunteers Day here, CGOC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi expressed confidence “the volunteers would contribute immensely towards ensuring that we host a great Games.”

Olympic gold medal winning shooter Abhinav Bindra shared a beautiful anecdote to underscore the importance of volunteers in the successful conduct of any Games.

“When I won the gold in Beijing (Olympics), there were two Chinese volunteers who gave me a card, all done in Hindi. I have it framed next to my gold medal,” Bindra said.

The estimated 30,000 volunteers will be sourced from the Delhi Government, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Authority of India, National sports federations, National Cadet Corps and the general public.

The volunteers will be provided training under five broad categories — general training, role specific, venue specific, event leadership and train the trainer programme.

In order to facilitate easy registration of the volunteers, the CGOC has launched a portal ( www.cwgdelhi2010.org/delhiunited).

Meanwhile, the Union Sports Ministry has instructed the CGOC that “India’s youth should be represented in the Delhi Commonwealth Games as volunteers.”

“Apart from students of Delhi, there should be a good representation among volunteers from youth and students from all over the country,” the Ministry has said. — Sports Reporter

National Stadium to be ready this month

The showpiece pitch at the historic Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the Capital, which is being renovated for the hockey competition during the upcoming Commonwealth Games in October next year, will be ready by the middle of this December, nearly a month ahead of the test event -- a four-nation tournament to be played from January 13 to 17, 2010. This was announced by the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee here on Friday.

‘Best hockey stadium’

Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said the stadium, which will have floodlights generating 2500 lux to cater to the needs of high-definition broadcast during the Commonwealth Games, will possess all modern facilities. He expressed confidence that it would be, as International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre had put it, “the best hockey stadium in the world”.

Noting that the stadium would have a sitting capacity for 20,000 people, Mr. Kalmadi said he was glad that the façade of the National Stadium, which was the main venue during the 1951 Asian Games and the hockey venue for the 1982 Asian Games, has been retained.

Second pitch

He also announced that the second pitch at the stadium would be ready well before the World Cup slated from February 28 to March 13.

Mr. Kalmadi went on to add that besides the two competition pitches and a warm-up pitch at the National Stadium, Delhi would have two more pitches at the Shivaji Stadium and the Yamuna Sports Complex.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the Commonwealth Games in Delhi will leave a lasting legacy not only for hockey but for Olympic sports,” he asserted.

The National Stadium is owned by the Sports Authority of India and the redesigning work has been carried out by the Central Public Works Department at a cost of Rs.201.11 crore.

BJP ups offensive on water, Commonwealth Games

Goel launches public forum to track govt spending on Games

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Goel on Friday announced the formation of a ‘Citizens’ Forum for the Commonwealth Games’ to keep a close watch on public money expenditure during the Games.

Goel alleged most Games projects were running behind schedule and the Games organising committee has been paying more to contractors for hastening work to meet the deadline.

Goel also alleged widespread irregularities in the spending and demanded a white paper from the government detailing how funds are being spent. “Daily updates should be put up on a website for proper public scrutiny, where details of tenders, quotations, and whether empanelled bidders alone were being given contracts, should be mentioned,” Goel said. “There have been reports of delays in various projects and we fear major embarrassment will be caused if Delhi is found under-prepared for the event.”

Goel said a run will be organised on December 6 from the National Stadium to the organising committee head office at Jantar Mantar. “The ‘Run to stop delays and waste of public money in Commonwealth Games’ is an effort to create awareness among people that their money is being spent and therefore it should be used judiciously.”

An additonal Rs 200 crore has been asked for infrastructure, while Delhi Jal Board, which was allocated Rs 1,400 crore, has asked for another Rs 600 crore, Goel claimed

Delhi Govt produce white paper on Commonwealth Games: Goel

Former Union sports minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel today alleged that the Commonwealth Organising Committee is stepped in corruption and urgently demanded a white paper on the committee's activities from the Delhi government.

Addressing media persons at the Constitution Club with people motivator Shiv Khera, Mr Goel criticised the Delhi government for a delay in the construction of the stadiums for next year's multi-sports event and blamed the Delhi government for the increasing project costs which are now around three times the earlier projection. Stating that the Organising Committee had been set up in 2005 and the Commonwealth Games was proposed for Delhi in 2003, he added that national dignity would be affected if the projects are not completed on time.

He said the Organising Committee had taken its office premises at Jantar-Mantar on rent from the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) at the rate of Rs 5.5 crore per month which will cost around a total of Rs 170-200 crore for 30 months, and still several parts of the premises is vacant. Mr Goel, who is also a member of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, charged the state government for siphoning off public money as Rs 84 crore is due to be spent on the inaugural and concluding ceremonies of the Games.

He noted that all these questions would be raised in a proposed meeting of the Organising Committee on December 7 and urged the government to put all informations regarding funds allocation and its receiving as well as day to day developments regarding completion of stadiums on its website. Mr Shiv Khera also criticised the Delhi's government for the manner in which it has planned the Commonwealth Games, and demanded that the whole process should be made very transparent.

The two leaders said under the banner of 'Citizen's Forum', thousands of its members will run to stop delays and waste of public money in Commonwealth games on December 6 from the National Stadium to the office of Commonwealth organising committee, at the Jantar-Mantar.