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Rafa

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  5. Vancouver's Gangster Olympics

    in Vancouver 2010 Winter Games

    Posted

    The news has hit Cape Town.

    Bloody suburban gang war shatters Vancouver's squeaky-clean image

    11 April 2009

    Cape Argus

    Once upon a very recent time, Vancouver had a clean, safe image. Nestled between a spectacular bay and snow-capped mountains, this Canadian city was described by The Economist as the most liveable in the world.

  10. Delhi 2010

    in Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games

    Posted

    Abold — the German firm responsible for preparing the "bid book" for the German and South African bids — will perform the same role for Australia, compiling the information required by FIFA's executive committee and using it to create a slick expression of Australia's credentials that will be the official bid document. The German firm has also created winning bid books for the 2011 women's World Cup and 2009 and 2010 club World Cups. The firm has unparalleled experience in presenting documents that win favour with FIFA. Significantly for Australia, Abold has been signed to an exclusivity deal. No other bidder may use the company's services to prepare any aspect of its bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cups. "They have a demonstrable record of success with FIFA tournaments and other major events, and we are very excited to have them as part of the team," Buckley said.

    They also prepared Cape Town's bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup International Broadcast Centre and have prepared Cape Town's 2010 Accommodation and base camp guide!

  21. Delhi 2010

    in Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games

    Posted

    From my sources, Melbourne and another city remain on standby.

    Preparations remain slow and behind schedule.

    The Olympic Village is approximately 35% complete with work yet to begin on the facade and roof of the main stadium.

    Melbourne back in mix as venue for 2010 Commonwealth Games

    The attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Pakistan, which killed six police and injured seven players, has heightened fears about potential attacks on sporting events in the region.

    New Delhi is due to host the Commonwealth Games next year and organisers insist they can deal with any potential threat.

    Prominent figures have called for the games to be cancelled or relocated, with Melbourne a potential destination.

    Australia's former Olympic champion swimmer Dawn Fraser called for the Games to be cancelled and said they should already have been moved from New Delhi after November's terror attacks in Mumbai, the Associated Press reports.

    But Randhir Singh, secretary-general of the Indian Olympic Association, said security planning for the Commonwealth Games was on track.

    "We're fully geared up to provide adequate security to the athletes and spectators at the Commonwealth Games,'' Singh told The Associated Press.

    "New Delhi is going to make no compromise on security,'' said Singh, a vice-president of the Commonwealth Games organising body.

    The London-based Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said today that security planning was on course.

    "The CGF is enormously aware of the need to ensure that a safe and secure environment is provided for the Commonwealth's athletes at every games,'' said Michael Hooper, chief executive of the CGF.

    "Security plans at all major events are subject to continual review and are amended as appropriate to reflect the threat assessment at a particular time,'' Hooper said in a statement.

    "Everyone is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for the Commonwealth's athletes.''

    Hooper said the CGF had its own security adviser, the Australian company Intelligent Risk.

    Secret talks were held in December about the Games returning to Melbourne after Indian organisers ran into serious building delays.

    "If the situation becomes untenable Melbourne stands ready, if asked, to host the Commonwealth Games," Premier John Brumby said hours after the attack.

    Olympic greats Raelene Boyle and Grant Hackett said athlete safety was paramount and the region's unrest made it a dangerous proposition for competing nations.

    Boyle experienced the horror of the Munich Olympics terror atrocity in 1972.

    "That changed my life forever and it's so vivid in my mind having been in that city when innocent athletes were tragically targeted," Boyle said last night.

    "I will never forget the impact that it had on so many lives and the sporting world. I think in light of what's happened in Mumbai, and now in Lahore, the Games in New Delhi are in serious jeopardy."

    Grant Hackett said decisions would have to be made sooner rather than later to ensure the safety and welfare of individuals.

    "If the risk is graded high, then I think there is simply only one option and that's to move the Games," the dual Olympic champion said.

    The barriers to returning the Games to Melbourne would be the reconfiguration of the MCG into an athletics venue, scheduling conflicts with the AFL and the building of a new athletes' village.

    Melbourne 2006 chairman Ron Walker yesterday confirmed talks were held late last year with Commonwealth Games chiefs about the Games coming back to Melbourne.

    Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite said the Games were unlikely to return to Melbourne.

    "At this stage the Games are on at New Delhi 2010 and we have no reason to believe that they won't take place," he said.

    He said the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team did not spell the end for those Games. "I won't call it a new threat. I call it a new implication," Mr Crosswhite said.

    "I don't think it means you automatically have to stop the Games.

    "It's how you deal with it - that's what everyone is putting their minds to now."

    He said ACGA officials would visit New Delhi in early April.

    "Quite frankly it is very difficult to organise the Games anywhere else at this stage of the game," he said.

    MCC general manager Stephen Gough said it was highly unlikely the MCG could be transformed in time to host the Games and the stadium management had not been approached by Commonwealth Games chiefs.

    - By Stephen McMahon and Michael Warner

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