Commonwealth Games OC takes over Talkatora stadium

Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee took over the first completed venue on Friday — the Talkatora indoor boxing stadium. With construction over, the Organising Committee will now focus on the remaining technical work at the venue.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the CWG OC, said that in the coming week, the OC would be taking over more venues, a process that would continue for another month. "All stadiums are ready and some small works are left at the Talkatora and Jawahar Lal Nehru stadia" he said.

Kalmadi added that all training areas were also complete but most individual sports committees had informed them that they would not need to use the facility for more than a couple of weeks. "It is only partially true that the training arenas were delayed where athletes could practise but we will make up for lost time," he said.

The Talkatora stadium is one of the city's greenest buildings, having been constructed with recycled building material, fly ash and heat reflective glass.
The boxing event is scheduled from October 5 to 13.

The stadium, with a capacity of 3,035, has been built at a cost of Rs 150 crore. It also boasts of a parking space for 500 cars. With the OC taking over, about 80 of its members and about 500 volunteers would be stationed here eventually.

The facility centre at the venue is equipped with a rainwater harvesting system and a dual knob flushing system. Around 200 CCTVs will secure the venue. During the Games, each floor of the centre would be used for different purposes. The ground floor for instance will have athlete cubicles, medical office warm-up area and athlete lounge. The first floor will have a doping-control office, federation office, technical official lounge, committee room, meeting room and changing rooms, among other facilities.

OC updates participating nations regarding preparations

Nine High Commissioners and senior representatives of 27 nations participating in the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games were today appraised of several organizational aspects, including ticketing and security, of the Common wealth games at a special briefing here.

The High Commissioners who attended the session included those of South Africa and Malaysia, while Australia, England and New Zealand were represented by their respective Deputy High Commissioners at the Headquarters of the Games’ Organising Committee.

OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi presided over the two hour session during which presentations were made on different aspects of the organisation of the Games.

“It was a nice session during which we have gave them idea about different aspects of the Games and have assured them again that the Delhi event will be truly a world class experience,” Kalmadi told reporters after the meet, which was the first such interaction between the OC and the HCs of the participating countries.

“The Commonwealth Games’ Coordination Commission has expressed satisfaction about the infrastructure and all the officials who attended the meet today are also happy. Among other infrastructures, we will have the best Games Village for the event,” Kalmadi added.

Kalmadi, also president of Indian Olympic Association, said the OC was planning more such interactions in the run-up to the Games.

“Yes, we would like to hold more such sessions in the coming days before the Games,” he said.

“We have got information about different subjects of the Games. The plans are certainly impressive and we hope that Delhi will see a very successful Commonwealth Games,” said a Zambian official on the sidelines of the meeting.

CWG OC head to visit Australia

The chairman of the Organising Committee for the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi, will be in Australia next week, in a visit that will coincide with the arrival of the Queen's baton relay, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association said on Monday.

Kalmadi will travel to Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast, where he will attend a number of the organised functions and activities associated with the baton's arrival, the ACGA said.

The Queen's baton, on its 190,000-kilometre (120,000-mile) journey around the world, will make its first stop in Sydney on April 19, before travelling to Melbourne, the host of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the following day.

On April 21, the baton will go to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the Queensland city which recently submitted its official bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

A series of events and activities featuring dignitaries, athletes, school children and members of the Indian community will be held during the time the baton is in Australia, the ACGA said.

"Suresh has a big task and it is an honour that he has taken time out to join us for the Australian leg of the Queen's Baton Relay," AGCA chief executive Perry Crosswhite said.

The New Delhi Games, from October 3-14, will comprise 19 sports, making it the largest Commonwealth Games to date.

The ACGA said it anticipated sending its largest-ever team to compete in an overseas Commonwealth Games, with more than 425 athletes and 175 officials expected to be selected.

Ambulance deal: CWG OC, Fortis trade blows

The Delhi government is preparing to initiate legal formalities to close its joint venture with the Fortis Hospitals to roll out 150 ambulances before the Commonwealth Games.

The deal had been stalled earlier as the state Health department reportedly found the first batch of vehicles and the equipment installed in them ‘not up to the mark’.

According to sources, the Delhi government was never in discussion with the private partner (Fortis) until a prototype ambulance was presented in December 2008 — a month before the first batch of 75 ambulances were to be delivered.

Blaming Fortis Hospitals for the fiasco, state Health minister Kiran Walia said, “We awarded the tender to the lowest bidder, Fortis. There was no communication from them. They kept delaying until December when the first ambulance was presented to us.”

In their defence, the Fortis Hospitals maintains the Delhi government took four months — from July 13 to October 31 in 2008 — to give specifications of the prototype. “At every step Fortis was working in conjunction with the state government. There has been no delay from our side at any point. As far as the quality of our ambulances goes, we are ready to place one ambulance in each of the Fortis Hospitals for anyone to inspect,” a Fortis official said.

The Health minister, meanwhile, has said all ambulances offered by Fortis is “sub-standard” and said her department will soon initiate closure proceedings in the Fortis ambulance joint venture.

Walia also maintained that the “whole city had congratulated her for taking a strong stand against Fortis”.

The Delhi government has already cancelled the registration of the prototype ambulance, which was booked in the name of Principal Secretary (Health) J P Singh.

In a strongly worded statement, the Health minister said, “They (Fortis) had pleaded with us in writing to give them a second chance. But the ambulances, which are supposedly ‘improved upon’, are also below the standards we had set. They are not fit to be a part of Delhi’s healthcare system. They have been rejected twice and we will soon start the legalities to close the deal,” she said.

Cancellation of deal months before the Commonwealth Games, meanwhile, has raised questions.

“The last-minute cancellations just shows the Health department was sleeping from July to October,” said an expert in the Delhi Secretariat who has been involved with the public private partnership.

Ambulances not up to the mark: Govt

• No air-conditioning in the prototype ambulance
• No power steering
• Equipment installed of inferior quality and of Chinese make
• Ambulance size not as per specification

Government caught napping: Critic

• Why did the government take four months to take a decision on the prototype ambulance?
• Why did the two committees — Special and Empowered — approve the ambulances in principle after inspecting them in October and December 2009?
• Why were the deficiencies not spotted before the January 9, 2010 inspection by the Core committee?