Team Australia struggling to get sponsors

Australia's Commonwealth Games team is struggling to attract sponsorship, with corporate Australia baulking at supporting a Delhi Games that many dread might not occur.

The fear of a terrorist attack, either in the lead-up to the Games or during the 11 days of it, has dogged preparations for the largest sporting event ever in India.

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Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite said only 35 per cent of the $7 million needed to send a large, competitive team to Delhi had been secured from corporate backers. With six months remaining until the Games begin, team officials should already have raised double that amount, and have never had problems doing so with previous Games.

Constant speculation about the event's future and the teething problems experienced by Indian organisers have hurt the push for sponsorship.

"I'm really disappointed at the level of support from corporate Australia." Crosswhite said. "We've always had good support in the past but they have obviously been influenced by what they have heard or read and are worried the Games are not going to go ahead or that they will be a disaster. They will go ahead."

Major backers from previous years who have not signed up for Delhi include Telstra, Commonwealth Bank and Holden. If sufficient funds cannot be raised, the ACGA will be forced to dip into its foundation - a future fund established to invest the profits from the 2006 Melbourne Games.

Teenage sensation books trip to Delhi CWG

Fourteen-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl Yolane Kukla stunned 50-metre butterfly world champion Marieke Guehrer here Wednesday to qualify for the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Kukla, a former gymnast who only started swimming two years ago, swam 25.92s to edge out 2009 world champion Guehrer (26.28) and fellow teenager Emily Seebohm (26.47).

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"I did gymnastics for five years but had a bad knee injury and couldn't do much for a while," Kukla said.

"So I got into swimming. I only came here to try and do PBs. I'm just shocked I got under 26 seconds."

Kukla became the youngest female swimmer to make a major Australian team since 13-year-old Jodie Clatworthy earned a spot at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games.

Twelve-year-old Dimity Douglas, who swam at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, remains Australia's youngest swimmer at a major meet.

Leisel Jones claimed the 50m breaststroke title and a trip to Delhi when she swam 30.87 to beat Leiston Pickett (31.06) and Sara Katsoulis (31.12)

Hayden Stoekel won the men's 50m backstroke in 25.06, ahead of Daniel Arnamnart (25.08), while Nicholas Ffrost surprised Thomas Fraser-Holmes and Kenrick Monk to win the 200m freestyle in a time of 1:47.40.

2010 CWG gets additional funding

Government on Friday (18-Mar) decided to pump in another Rs 687.06 crore for the Commonwealth Games to install high-end equipment and fittings necessary for the sporting extravaganza.

The Union Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the proposal from the Sports Ministry for "overlays" to be given to Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games which will be held here in October.

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Overlays are defined as temporary fittings, fixtures and equipment which will be required only for the duration of the Games. They are required to make the competition, training and non-competition venues operationally ready for the Games.

"The installation of these high-end items of overlays will set high standards for technological excellence and capacity enhancement not only in the sphere of sports but also for the organisation and management of mega international and national events," I and B Minister Ambika Soni told reporters.

The overlays are expected to be in place and operational about a month prior to the Games, that is by the end of August and these will be removed from the venues immediately after the Games, she said.

This amount will be in addition to the Rs 2,296.43 crore allocation made for the Games in the Union Budget for next fiscal. Of this, Rs 2,069.52 crore has been allocated to Sports Ministry for the while Urban Development ministry has been given Rs 176.90 crore and Delhi government Rs 50 crore.

The Games will be held in the capital from October three to 14 in 17 sporting disciplines. There will be 23 competition venues, 26 training venues, Games Village, International Broadcasting Centre and Main Press Centre among other facilities.

Around one lakh people are expected to visit the capital during the event. Soni said the competition and non-competition venues are in an advanced stage of construction by concerned agencies such as Delhi Government, Sports Authority of India and Delhi Development Authority.

The Timing, Scoring Result (TSR) system including the On Venue Result (OVR) system and Games Time Sports equipment are being separately procured by the Organising Committee, she said.

The security and surveillance related equipment at the venues is being installed by Electronic Corporation of India Ltd, she added.

England to send full contingent for CWG

England will send a full team to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, its Chef de Mission for the event Craig Hunter said after his recent visit to the Indian capital. 

Also, Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) Chief Executive Perry Crosswhite has said his team was even more bullish on taking part in Delhi than it has been before.

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According to a report on the Commonwealth Games England website, it will be bringing a team of 560 athletes, more than its squad for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in 2006, to compete across al the 17 sports.

"England will categorically be sending a team to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year." Hunter said. He dismissed earlier reports that security concerns would force England to fail to send a team to mega event for the first time.

"There's no doubt that there are lots of athletes who see Delhi as a vital developmental stepping stone towards the 2012 Olympics in London and they are very keen to be in the team." Hunter said.

"Let's wait and see who decides to go and who doesn't when the time comes. Having seen everycompetition site, we believe it will all be ready." he added.

"We have built up a great working relationship with the Indians, and there's no doubt that they will stage a unique Games."

Meanwhile, ACGA Chief Executive Peter Crosswhite has said English athletes will gladly go to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi because they are tougher and more determined to represent their country. He said Australia's athletes had been kept well informed about the measures being put in place to protect them. "No one has expressed to us that he or she is not going. Everybody has got to make their own mindup but I'd be disappointed if someone didn't go." he stated.

"The successful running of the FIH World Cup along with trouble-free test events in shooting and archery has bolstered confidence that the organisers have security under control. We are even more bullish on it than we have been before." he added.