Rafa

SA awaits government's Commonwealth decision Share | [/url] 22 September 2010, 00:09 South African Commonwealth Games team chiefs are awaiting a report and will be "guided by government" before deciding whether to send their athletes to the crises-wracked Games in Delhi after a pedestrian bridge collapsed beside the main stadium on Monday. A 100-metre bridge leading to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium collapsed on Monday, with at least 23 construction workers injured, five of them seriously. They were taken to hospital. The bridge collapsed when the labourers were applying a concrete layer to the bridge. It is the latest blow for the Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled to start on October 3, although that is doubtful and the preparations of the Games are now said to be in chaos, with construction woes and security concerns. The organisers have fallen behind in the construction of the athletes' village, with team leaders from England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia and Canada saying the village was "sub-standard and one delegation claiming they were "unsafe and unfit for human habitation". The Times of India have reported that just 18 of the 34 towers at the village are fully complete, while the Scottish delegation said some of the flats were filthy and had to be cleaned. Athletes will begin arriving in Delhi from tomorrow. New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie said he believe the facilities were below standard. He told Newstalk ZB: "The way things are looking, it's not up to scratch. The reality is that if the village is not ready and athletes can't come, the implications are that it's not going to happen. It is unacceptable from the organising committee that they have put athletes through this." The majority of the South African team are due to leave for Delhi on Sunday night. Tubby Reddy, CEO of the South African Sports Confederation Committee (Sascoc), under whom the South African team fall, said they will consider a report by their delegation before making a statement today. "We have heard about the bridge collapsing and the concerns over the village, but we won't be making any decision until we have gone over the report in detail from our delegation," said Reddy. "We sent the chef de mission Patience Shikwambana, one of the team doctors and a representative from the intelligence services to inspect. We don't have the full information and want to have all the information in front of us before we make a decision. We will also be guided by Government in this. We won't compromise the safety or the health of our athletes." The health is the biggest factor, with security also now a concern. Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell has admitted that the village is "seriously compromised" and has written to the Indian Cabinet Secretary expressing his "great concern". He said: "The village is the cornerstone of any Games and the athletes deserve the best possible environment to prepare for their competition. Many nations that have already sent their advanced parties to set up within the village have made it abundantly clear that, as of the afternoon of September 20, the Commonwealth Games village is seriously compromised." India's Urban Development minister Jaipal Reddy has responded to claims of inhospitable living conditions in the Commonwealth Games village, by assuring participating nations over New Delhi's ability to host the event. Reddy said: "Concerns about cleanliness and maintenance will be addressed urgently and properly. You have nothing to worry about. There is no complaint on the quality of Commonwealth Games village. This is about the quality of services and the quality of maintenance. "They wanted more labour to be pressed into service. And more labour will be provided to attend to cleanliness and maintenance. These are all minor hiccups. We don't like to neglect any one of them. The athletes have not arrived yet and by that time they come in a couple of days, all concerns will be addressed. I can tell you with all the sincerity at my command that I am not worried at all. I am as confident and as cool as ever about organising the Commonwealth Games in a successful, comfortable way. "You must form your judgment until after the games are held. If the staging of games is faulty or deficient you should definitely raise questions. But at the moment we are all in the process of preparing and I would ask everybody to withhold their judgment."

Hambantota is a joke. Congrats on bidding but lets call a spade a spade.

I am concerned about the lack of proper test events at many many venues. The structure of these venues, the security, transport etc. South Africa was not without issues, but completing venues early on means that in Nelspruit they could change the pitch 3 times. They could host test events, large and small and full internal, external and aerial security drills were started years before kick-off. Stadium security quit during the WC on a match day at many venues, essentially a disaster but the contingency was the police, they stepped in on match day and the issue was sorted out. With a bridge to the main stadium not in place this close to the Games, and now collapsing, its now the venues that are in the spotlight, the basic operations, are there backups in place? I do feel like things "will be fine" and I can't wait for the opening, but its really scary how many Games areas, infrastructure and operations, are at risk given the preparations. Its perhaps also sad being from the developing world that India has allowed things to get this bad, in large parts due to denial and egos and corruption.

Me too, but at the current rate, don't be surprised if the headlines are soon "aerostat explodes..."

Highly doubt they will be cancelled. I also do not think the teams have the balls to leave.

and shithead NZ'ers

These Indian "do not smoke" ads are awesome. Dramatic!

Well at the press conference he started off with "You see this room i.e. press conference room, ...for us and for you its clean..etc The saddest part is that 23 labourers fell with the bridge or off the bridge, yet nobody seems to care about them

I apologize. He said "“For us and for you it is clean. But they (the foreign countries) have a different standard of cleanliness. It is a matter of difference in perception.”

Commonwealth Games 2010 mess: Foot over-bridge at Nehru stadium collapses Press Trust of India, Updated: Tue, Sep 21, 2010 New Delhi : In a major embarrassment for organisers of the Commonwealth Games, an under-construction foot over-bridge today collapsed outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue of the Commonwealth Games, injuring 23 labourers. Five of the injured are critical in the incident that occurred at 3.10 PM in Lodhi Road area of South Delhi, police said. The 95-metre long bridge was being built along with another overbridge at the cost of Rs 10.5 crore by Chandigarh-based company PNR Infra, Delhi government sources told PTI. Public Works Department of Delhi government, which had given the contract to PNR Infra for constructing the over-bridge as ordered an inquiry into the incident. The bridge, whose construction was to be completed soon, was to connect the parking lot of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where the opening and closing functions of Commonwealth Games would be held. Fire department officials said the labourers were putting concrete mix at a portion of the bridge when the incident took place. PWD Chief Engineer Rakesh Mishra admitted that the incident was a "setback" but expressed confidence that the project would be completed before the Games that start on October 3. Yesterday, two police personnel, including an officer, had suffered injuries when a canopy erected at the stadium fell on them.

Hooper: "in simple terms, the rooms are filthy, shower doors are on the wrong way, toilets are incomplete, doors are not installed..."

I found an Indian News Channel I never knew we had here. The press conference is chaos. Live from the press conference "Your standards of hygiene and my standards of hygiene in the village may be different. There are so many levels of hygiene. We cannot every time clean the toilets or lock the room"

Doha metros proposes hosting 10 stadia. It classifies "suburbs" as host cities i.e. 16km away, 9km away and 20km away.

I don't think the Games will be a disaster.

DDA yet to install ACs in Village flats By editor Created 9 Sep 2010 - 00:00 [1] The Commonwealth Games Village is not only fighting the dengue scare, even the furnishing work of the flats is yet to be completed. The athletes will begin streaming in from September 15. Although the Organising Committee is claiming that the work would be finished in time, the fact is that the air-conditioners are yet to be installed in the flats, besides other accessories. Ideally, these installations were supposed to have been tested but there is no time for it now. The earlier deadline for completing the furnishing was August 31. “While the Delhi government officials maintain that every project will be completed before the athletes arrive, the installation of air-conditioners at the Village which is under the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is likely to become an issue in the days to come,” said a CVC official. “The CVC is investigating everything related to Commonwealth Games. But, poor response from the project executing agencies is a probable reason for the slow progress of investigations,” said a CVC official adding that commission has asked Delhi government, the OC and DDA to explain the delay in installing air-conditioners. Meanwhile, the CVC has asked the DDA to submit reports on other Games projects. “However, DDA is yet to submit a vigilance report on construction of the indoor stadium for badminton and squash at Siri Fort Auditorium with the irregularities in purchase of air-conditioners for flats since March 2010,” said a senior CVC official. Reuter AP images

because the venues were completed 6-12 months before. The biggest concern was ensuring each pitch was perfect and correcting FIFA's wrongs when it came to ticketing and accommodation.

How do venues get safety certificates without hosting test events? Is it not a general rule that the venue hosts 2-3 small events increasing in capacity each time before the main event? A comment from SSC "As stated by the comparison made by 'antriksh_sfo' in his post, you can clearly see that Delhi works more upon the efficiency of the infrastructure, instead of making them meretriciously stunning. And still, Delhi has placed a better infrastructure than Melbourne, for the Commonwealth Games could ever deserve." Love it.

Less than a month to go for Games, tenders still being put out Read more: Less than a month to go for Games, tenders still being put out - India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Less-than-a-month-to-go-for-Games-tenders-still-being-put-out/articleshow/6507841.cms#ixzz0ynBIqFO6 NEW DELHI: Despite the Commonwealth Games due to begin in less than a month, tenders are still being sought for audio and video equipment along with handlers for all 17 sports for presentation ceremonies even as the response to other last-minute proposals has been poor. The invitation for audio and video equipment as also music packages was put out on Tuesday even though discussions in the Organising Committee had led to the view that no further request for proposals should be called for given the time left. But the equipment sought is so intrinsic to venues that it has to be contracted. Such is the hurry in the last leg procurment of equipment that the final date for submission of bids is September 11 with the tenders being opened the same day. That will leave winning bids with three weeks to set up equipment even as it remains to be seen how many suppliers come forward with credible offers. The presentation ceremonies should, said sources, have been planned well in advance and the need for the equipment now being sought was hardly unanticipated. There is a suspicion that the late tendering would result in a very limited response with only a few firms making the cut. Whether some contenders had a discreet headstart was a matter of speculation. Similarly, tenders for production of animated promotional spots for the Games had not yielded anything like a competitive field. Of those who showed interest, most fell out of reckoning on some eligibility criteria or the other while it now seems that just two bidders will be empanelled. Both competition and quality were likely to be hit. It is not clear whether the delayed bidding is a result of the inefficiency that has marked the organisation of the Games or can end up tilting the field of play in favour of some entitites. With the government now straining to ensure that there is no loss of face when the Games unfold, few questions are asked and there are always emergency clauses to be invoked. As the venues are being readied with debris being moved and water pooling due to heavy rains drained, requests for procurements continue to pour in with logistics put in place. The OC is now approaching state oil companies for 40,000 litres of diesel that will be needed for the massive generators at the redone Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. The requirements at other venues are being worked out. The pace of work and level of scrutiny have increased since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a review of the Games preparations in mid-August. Officials specifically deputed to oversee work at venues have made a difference while the Cabinet Secretary's primary task has become the conduct of the mega sporting event but the bits and pieces do not seem to end. Read more: Less than a month to go for Games, tenders still being put out - India - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Less-than-a-month-to-go-for-Games-tenders-still-being-put-out/articleshow/6507841.cms#ixzz0ynBGeD37

A Delhi forumer at SSC had the nerve to compare landscaping at SA 2010 venues with that of Delhi. Eish.

Those consultants he blames are the ones who made sure the main stadium roof went up so quickly...where does he think the technology comes from?

hahahahahahahahaha. and hahahhahahahahahah' and hahahahahahahah

OC hunts for rooms as flats not ready The Commonwealth Games organisers are on a last-minute lookout for about 1,600 extra hotel rooms to house technical officials, who were supposed to be housed at the upcoming flats in Vasant Kunj by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). They have initiated talks with one- and two-star hotels in Delhi to negotiate the lowest possible rates after they got signal from multiple quarters in the Union government, including the Cabinet Secretariat, that the flats might not be in ideal living condition in time for the Games. The last-minute search for the rooms has had a negative effect on negotiations as sources said hotels have been quoting exorbitant tariffs knowing well that the OC requires these rooms. But the OC has been able to bring down the rates to somewhat agreeable levels and have even booked some rooms. "We are looking for rooms for both foreign as well as Indian technical officials," said Moti Irani, head of the accommodation functional area of the OC. "We have reasons to believe that we will need these rooms as the Vasant Kunj flats might not be ready." Officially, though, the DDA is still hopeful that it will be able to deliver 1,600 of the 2000-odd flats to the OC. "As far as we are concerned, the flats will be ready in exactly the condition the OC had asked for," said DDA spokeswoman Neemo Dhar. The DDA was supposed to hand over the flats with full furnishing by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation by September. "Even if they finish the flats, they will not be in great condition. There are problems with power backup, water logging, and the general finish of the property," said a senior official on condition of anonymity. The Vasant Kunj flats have been entangled in controversy ever since a union of DDA engineers issued statements earlier last month that the flats would not be finished. That was followed by the DDA Vice Chairman A.K. Nigam clarifying the agency would deliver the flats as promised.

I'm not sure the concept of a deadline is understood.

You can't have security drills done properly in a week. South Africa had its venue and non-venue drills including aerial interceptions etc. done over 2 or more years. If the venues are not certified I'm not sure they are allowed to even do security drills.