New Delhi hosts invitational archery event

The second day of the first invitational archery contest saw lively marksmanship by participants at the newly set up Yamuna Sports Complex in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The event is regarded as a yardstick to gauge India's preparedness for the Commonwealth Games.

The archery arena at Delhi's Yamuna Sports Complex was thrown open for the test archery competition, which began on March 8.

Over 100 archers from India as well as 10 other countries are taking part in this contest, organized by the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee (OC) in collaboration with the Archery Association of India (AAI).

Despite such an international event taking place, the authorities admitted that a major part of the construction work is yet to be completed.

The sports complex was initially scheduled to be ready by December 2009 but got delayed in the construction. Although few of the infrastructure facilities like change rooms and medical centre are not yet completed.

At present, however, only the grandstand, with the capacity of 1,500 spectators, is complete while some work remains on training and competition areas.

MTNL invites bids to set up IT network

After bagging the deal to set up the communications IT network for the Common Wealth Games, MTNL on Friday invited bids from global and Indian companies to build this network. MTNL has said the contract to set up this infrastructure in Delhi is worth more than Rs 400 crore.

Post the Common Wealth Games, MTNL will use this infrastructure to provide Delhi with a secure dedicated communications network that will allow the city to host global meets. This is because, large global meets like that of the G20 requires host cities to have secure, dedicated communication and IT networks that can be used by the delegates of visiting countries.

In a notification on its website to all potential bidders, MTNL said: “We intend to set up a world class communications infrastructure to meet the Common Wealth Games 2010 requirements. The proposed network shall be a converged (MPLS-based IP Infrastructure) network, which shall be a 2-layer centrally managed internet (IP) backbone network, designed to provide reliable routes to cover all possible destinations.”

“Along with the complexity of the application and service delivery, there are further challenges of making sure a very high degree of reliability of the operations... On top of everything, there are requirements around security threats to make sure that network runs without any outage during the games event,” the notification on the is website added.

Importantly, MTNL has also specified that the contract will be given only to those IT and telecom hardware companies who have set up and managed similar facilities at one Olympic, Common Wealth or FIFA (world cup) in the past 10 years. Bidders have also been asked to furnish proof of having prior experience in providing these services.

Besides, MTNL has also categorically stated that only those firms that have earned profits over the last two years and have registered revenues of over Rs 500 each annually during this period can bid for the contract. “In case of subsidiaries of foreign firms, for the purpose of financial strength, turn over of the parent company will also be considered. The Audited Balance sheets/ annual reports in support of above should be submitted along with the bid,” the notification added.

Hardware firms must also show proof of having installed equipment that will be part of this contract such as routers to mobile operators in a minimum of 60 locations, the bid document adds. The deadline for the submission of bids is October 27, 2009.

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Melbourne, Victoria gives tips to CWG 2010

Premier of Victoria, John Brumby called on Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games 2010 here on Saturday.

Brumby during his visit met the organising committee officials and reviewed the progress of various stadiums and infrastructure projects coming up for the Commonwealth Games. Brumby also shared his experience of holding such sports events.

Melbourne, Victoria hosted the 2006 Commonwealth Games and it was the largest sporting event to be staged in the city after the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events held.

Brumby on this occasion on Saturday also wrote a note on the partnership between Melbourne and New Delhi.

Preparations are on in New Delhi for hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Delhi had bagged the games after beating the Canadian city Hamilton in the bid for the games.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell has requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the slow pace of work ahead of next year's New Delhi games.

But Union Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill has expressed confidence that the venues would be ready after visiting the stadiums.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be India's first major international sports event after the 1982 Asian Games. New Delhi hosted the inaugural Asian Games in 1951 and again in 1982

Damage control exercise on..!!

Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy, Delhi Cheif minister Shiela Dikshit and Organizing Committee Chief Suresh Kalmadi were quick to react to Commonwealth Games Federation Chief's concern that Delhi Commonwealth Games may be a partial failure.

In a letter to the local organizing committee, Fennell said that the current situation and delays in preparing for the Games poses a serious risk to the event. The letter expressed worry whether the event in India will match the standards set by the last two cities to host them - Manchester in 2002 and Melbourne in 2006.

Within hours of Fennell calling Prime Minister's intervention Jaipal Reddy said that preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi were on track. Speaking on the topic, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit said India's pride is involved with the Commonwealth Games success. She said the progress is being monitored on a weekly basis and all concerns in this regard are of little consequence at this stage. Earlier on Monday, the chief minister had accepted that preparations at some venues in the capital are behind schedule.

Indian officials are expressing confidence the country will successfully host an international sports event scheduled for next year after the Commonwealth Games Federation warned the event could collapse due to lack of preparation. The Commonwealth Games will be the most high-profile sporting event to be staged in India since 1982. Officials also point to the several alarms sounded about preparations before the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, which were staged successfully.

But despite that assurance, officials admit India will have to race against time to successfully host the Games, because much of the work is behind schedule. A government report has said work on 14 of the 19 sports venues, that are to be built for the Games, is running late. So are nine transport projects meant to improve the city's infrastructure.

Meanwhile, The Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly is due to meet in New Delhi early next month to assess the work a year ahead of the October 2010 games.

Delhi government showcasing preparations

In a move that will showcase the government’s preparedness to host the Commonwealth Games, realty company Emaar MGF will complete 32 flats next month in the Commonwealth Games village project, located in east Delhi.

A senior urban development official who did an assessment of the Games village project on August 17 said the flats which needed to be completed 'early' were on track. “Officials from the Commonwealth committee will stay in those flats to find out whether those adhere to the required standards or not,” he said on the condition of anonymity.

When contacted, Emaar spokesperson said that Tower No 9 comprising 32 apartments of 3 and 5 bedroom configuration will be ready by October 2009 for a complete dry run of the fit outs and operations.

According to an urban development ministry estimate, 56% of the Games village project was completed till mid-August, and it would be fully completed by April, 2010.

CGF presses panic button

Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell has warned New Delhi that delays in its preparations for the 2010 Games are putting the success of next year's event in jeopardy.

Fennell was reported on Sunday to have written to Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the local organizing committee, for urgent actions in order to bring about the successful celebration of the games in 2010.

Commonwealth Games Federation has expressed concerns that unless there is significant change in the management culture and operation of the organizing committee these Games will fail from an operational perspective.

This comes after a CGF report which predicted a partial failure of the event scheduled for Oct. 3-14, as most venues are lagging behind construction deadlines. The report said it was reasonable to conclude that the current situation poses a serious risk to the Commonwealth Games in 2010 .

Fennell wrote: "The CGF is extremely worried about the organizing committee's ability to deliver the games to any comparable standard to that of the last two editions of the Games in Manchester and Melbourne."

The CGF chief has requested Indian Prime Minister to pitch in and ensure that the preparation are brought back on track. He hopes to discuss the delays with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during a visit to New Delhi next month for the federation's general assembly.

The games are set to be the biggest multiple-sport event staged in India since the 1982 Asian Games. They feature 71 nations and territories that comprised or were linked to the old British empire.

Sponsors required for Usain Bolt

Commonwealth Games organisers are seeking an Indian sponsor to try to encourage Usain Bolt to commit himself to the event in New Delhi next year. The Jamaican, the world record holder for the 100 and 200 metres, has so far kept his schedule for 2010 under wraps but officials hope that a big Indian company would guarantee his participation.

(Video: Usain Bolt breaks World Record)

Officials believe that in a country with the 12th biggest economy in the world, along with China, the fastest growing – the triple Olympic and world champion would be an attractive brand ambassador for a major Indian firm. It remains to be seen if any of Indian companies share their view and find it worthwhile to take the plunge. So far, the International sports good companies have promised quite a lot regarding India's growth story but have failed to deliver when it comes to making commitment to the market. This can be attributed to their lack of understanding of the market dynamics, and also to the fact that Indian customers are extremely price sensitive.

The super star said at the World Championships in Berlin last month that he hoped he would be able to compete at Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital due to begin on October 3, 2010. A final decision will be taken after consultation between the star and his coach and training staff.

Click here  to watch Usain Bolt's WORLD RECORD setting run at Berlin World Championships.

CWG command centre inaugurated

M.S. Gill, Union Minister for Youth Affaire & Sports, formally opened the Headquarters of the Organizing Committee of 2010 Commonwealth Games today.

The swanky trapezium shaped nine-storey New Delhi City Centre building on Parliament Street is already abuzz with activities.The building built by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will be the “nerve centre” of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The headquarters of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee (OC) will function from here till the event is over. All the logistics of the Games will be monitored and controlled from here.

The interior of the building has motifs of the Games imprinted on walls. The interiors of this uniquely shaped building showcases an amalgamation of tradition and technological advancement. The interiors complement contemporary design element with usage of indigenous, eco-friendly and traditional materials.

While the ground floor of the building will have a souvenir shop and travel desk, the different floors will house departments handling different aspects of the event— volunteer programme, media centre, security and administrative units among others. The building is spread over nine floors and will accommodate a workforce of over 1,200 The Organizing Committee is shelling out rent of Rs 5.6 crore every month to NDMC. After the Games, NDMC will shift its own headquarters here.

Jessica Ennis to skip Commonwealth Games

Britain's Jessica Ennis, the current world heptathlon champion has indicated that she may miss 2010 Commonwealth Games in favour of the European Championships.

The European Championships run from July 26 to August 1 in Barcelona before the Commonwealth Games start on October 3 in Delhi. Ennis, 23, won bronze in the last Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006. She has indicated that she wants to avoid burnout and will discuss her participation with her coach.

Earlier, Usain Bolt has neither confirmed nor denied his participation in Commonwealth Games, indicating that the same are scheduled at fag end of the season. However, Indian organizers have confirmed that Bolt will make an appearance at the games in Delhi.

Nehru Cup: India's biggest football event

India beat Syria 5-4 in a penalty shootout to retain the Nehru Cup on Monday. Nehru Cup is India's only bi-annual international football event.

The game was scoreless after 90 minutes, but India and Syria both scored in extra-time to send the contest to penalties. India won the last Nehru Cup in 2007, also defeating Syria in the final.

The two teams failed to score in regulation time and scored once each in the dying minutes of extra time.

India were first to score when Renedy Singh scored through a free-kick in the 24th minute of extra time, but Ali Dyab came up with a stupendous header in the last minute to sink Indian hopes of a clear-cut victory.

Both teams converted three of their first five penalties before the deadlock was broken when the shootout went to sudden death. Indian players scored on their first two shots and goalkeeper Subrata Paul clinched the issue by saving the second Syrian attempt. Paul in an amazing display of reflexes and anticipation saved three spot kicks in the tie-breaker after.

Click here to read featured article on health of Indian sports.

35,000 meals a day..!!

Delhi is getting ready to play host to 71 countries in upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010... and when you are in India, food can't be very far away..!!

It is expected that Delhi is ready to show its culinary skills as it prepares to serve more than 35,000 meals per day to about 10,000 guests from 71 counties. The catering division of the Commonwealth Games organizing committee is now busy working out the logistics.

Catering for the event will be divided into food clusters depending on the nutritional requirements of athletes. The menu will feature cuisine from all over the world. Each venue will offer specific “athlete venue meals” based on the requirement of participants of the event being hosted.

Water vending machines will be place strategically in the area with juices, energy drinks and cold drinks to be made available in the main dining hall, casual dining halls and carts.

During the main meals in the Games Village, there will also be special food surprises for the players like a birthday cake or a food corner showcasing Indian delicacies. Every food item will bear a tag listing ingredients and nutritional value of the item.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in India for the first time on October 3 to 14 next year. This will be the largest multi-sport event conducted in the country, previously it hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.

Courtesy: The Times of India

Coming up: Hot air ballooning in NCR

In a bid to cash-in on upcoming Commonwealth Games and promote adventure tourism, Haryana government is working to introduce facilities for hot air ballooning at Suraj Kund, Damdama and Badkhal lakes. State tourism ministry has already floated tenders in this regard.

Currently, there is no permanent venue for hot air ballooning in the NCR and this move will boost tourism in the region. Also, the operators will be able to break even quickly because of huge rush of tourists expected next year. The spots shortlisted are favorite picnic spots and have excellent connectivity with Delhi. Government has zeroed on two licensed players who have experience in commercial hot ballooning. The arrangements will be on on public-private partnership (PPP) basis. Meanwhile, State tourism department has also prepared a plan to set up temporary tents for tourists at the three sites in Faridabad during Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games 2010: Bamboo Curtains

As is case with any aspiring nation, low cost dwellings and slums are part of Indian metros. The disparity in income of those who have broken shackles and those who have just unearthed the secret, drive later to the economic hubs. The price they pay for their aspirations is a compromise of living standards, resulting in mushrooming slums. Delhi is NO DIFFERENT..!!

Low cost dwellings simply represent a class of economic transition which is making an attempt for better future. However, it sometimes present not so pretty picture. So what's the solution..!! Well, you certainly can't remove it. How about covering it and presenting a slightly better picture..!! The same can be seen in the plans of the government which is preparing enthusiastically for commonwealth games.

Realizing that uprooting slum clusters from all over the capital and rehabilitating its inhabitants is not a pragmatic solution, Delhi government has decided to screen the not-so-welcoming sights from the many visitors expected for the event.

Similar moves were made in Beijing during last year’s Olympics when screens were put up before not so pretty sections of the city which the authorities did not want the millions of visitors to China to see. Giant screens are also seen in several cities in Latin America to block out ugly sights from visitors.

However, living the theme of GREEN Games, Delhi's approach is innovative yet simple. The department of agriculture has decided to plant bamboo trees which can be used to screen the shanties and slums on the roadside of all those routes through which the Commonwealth convoy is expected to go.

Numerous preparations are under way to make the event a success giving all flyovers an aesthetic look, improving connectivity, increasing room availability, rehabilitating dwellers away from the Games site. It seems, Delhi is focussed on addressing as many issues as possible. Bamboo screening is one such innovative and practical approach.

Delhi Metro to be ready for 2010 Commonwealth Games!

Delhi Metro chief E. Sreedharan has committed that all their projects would be completed before the Commonwealth Games next year.

DMRC confirmed that recent mishap will not have any delay whatsoever on the overall completion of the Delhi Metro projects. Ongoing Phase-II of the Delhi Metro will provide easy Metro connectivity to 10 of the 11 venues of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Delhi Metro is currently operating on various routes totalling 70 km across Delhi.

Recent assertion from the Metro management comes as a good news for foreign and domestic tourists planning to visit India on the occasion of commonwealth games. The ride to different games venues will be smoother and tourists will be traveling in a truly world class mode of transport.

No Wi-Fi at Commonwealth Games 2010

Delhi government has dropped the idea of providing high-speed Internet services through Wi-Fi across the city for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The move has come after it was felt that wireless fidelity (WiFi) is not a fool-proof mechanism in view of militants using it to co-ordinate and carry out attacks.

However, travellers visiting Delhi for Commonwealth Games need not worry about missing on important e-mails and communication. Delhi has one of the world's largest density of Cybercafés with usage rates as low as $0.50/hour.

Visitors are advised to carry a photo identification with them as it is now mandatory in India to present the same while logging on to internet from Cybercafe.

Camping at Commonwealth Games 2010

India's Ministry of Tourism has informed that they will explore the possibilities for tent accommodation in Delhi during 2010 Commonwealth Games. The decision is taken partly to make the games more exciting for spectators and also considering estimated shortfall of hotel rooms required for the tourists during the Commonwealth Games 2010 in the National Capital Region (NCR) . According to sources, discussions were held recently at the last tourism stakeholders meeting.

Representatives of the hotel associations have asked the Ministry to set up luxury tents as an alternative mode of accommodation. A few luxury tent operators from Pushkar, Rajasthan have shown interest and have approached the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). The tent operators want to set up tents if suitable land is available for a one-month period.

However, sources revealed that, representatives of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) as well as Urban Development Ministry have not taken up the proposal officially under the pretext that suitable land may not be available in Delhi for camping. At the same time, Keshni Anand Arora, Secretary, Haryana Tourism has evinced interest in the proposal and agreed to explore suitable land for the same in Gurgaon.

History of the 'Friendly Games'

The concept of a united Commonwealth sporting event was coined during rebirth of the Olympic Games, and was first formally propagated by Reverend Astley Cooper in The Times newspaper in 1891.

In 1911, the 'Festival of Empire' was held in London to celebrate the coronation of King George V. As part of the festivities, an Inter-Empire Championships was held in which teams from Commonwealth Nations including Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom competed in events such as boxing, wrestling, swimming and athletics. A trophy in the form of a silver cup, 2ft 6in high and weighing 340oz, the gift of Lord Lonsdale, was presented to the winning country, which was Canada.

The first practical steps were taken to organise the British Empire Games in 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Mr M. M. (Bobby) Robinson of Canada called a meeting of representatives of all Empire countries, and made the proposal that the British Empire Games should be held. The first British Empire (Commonwealth) Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada where 11 countries took part. In total 400 athletes represented their respective countries in 6 sports and 59 events.

The Games have been conducted every four years except for 1942 and 1946 when they were disrupted due to World War II. Since its inception the event has seen many changes, not least in its name. The name, British Empire Games, was changed in 1950 to British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In 1966, it was changed to British Commonwealth Games. It was the 1978 Games in Edmonton that saw this unique, world class, multi-sports event change its name to the Commonwealth Games.

Often referred to as the ‘Friendly Games’ only single competition sports had been on the programme from 1930 up to and including the 1994 Games in Victoria.

The 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur saw the introduction of team sports with nations taking part in cricket (50 over game), hockey (men and women), netball (women) and rugby 7's (men).

In Manchester in 2002 hockey, netball and rugby 7's were part of the programme again and at the 2006 Games in Melbourne basketball was added to the list of team sports.

Hockey, netball and rugby 7’s will again feature in XIX edition of the games at Delhi in 2010.

Click here to read more about Commonwealth Nations.

Commonwealth Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, established on 11 December 1931 is an organisation of 53 independent member states. 

Most of the states were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values and goals, as outlined in the Singapore Declaration.These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace.

The Commonwealth is an inter-governmental organisation through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status. Its activities are carried out through the permanent Commonwealth Secretariat, headed by the Secretary-General; biennial Meetings between Commonwealth Heads of Government; and the Commonwealth Foundation, which facilitates activities of non-governmental organisations in the so-called 'Commonwealth Family'.

32 members of the Commonwealth Nations are Republics, 16 members are Commonwealth Realms and 5 members have distinct Monarchs.
The Head of the Commonwealth is a ceremonial position currently held by Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth II is also the monarch of sixteen members of the Commonwealth, also called the Commonwealth realms. As each realm is an independent kingdom, the Queen, as monarch, holds a distinct title for each of the realms.


Read more about history and traditions of Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games 2010

Host city: New Delhi, India 
Motto: "COME OUT AND PLAY"
Nations participating: 72 Commonwealth Teams
Athletes participating: TBA
Events: 17 disciplines  Queen's Baton Relay: 29 October 2009

Opening ceremony: 03 October 2010
Closing ceremony: 14 October 2010

Click here to know more about history of Commonwealth Games.