Delhi 2010

[micheal_warren]

The CGF was applying pressure from the word go - there were reports back during the Melbourne Games about no venue contracts being signed, doubts over security and health issues - as well as budget concerns. The Indian organisers were saying their Games would be bigger than Melbourne - and would even rival the upcoming Beijing Olympics!!

I understand why the CGF went with Delhi - the same reason why the IOC went with Rio - however Delhi was less prepared than Rio is today by a wiiiiiiiiiiiiiide margin.

If they take the Games away from Delhi there is no back up. Kuala Lumpur needs a village, Melbourne needs a village and to put a track back in the MCG, Manchester needs an Athletics stadium, and London wont step in. If the CGF allows the Games to be hosted in early 2011 maybe KL or Melb could possibly step in - but I doubt that will happen. I don't think eother coty is champing at the bit for a CGs again and teh CGF is not in a position to throw huge money at a host like the IOC could in a pinch...

From what I have heard if Delhi isnt ready for 2010 then the games will be cancelled all-together!

This is shocking and bloody hopeless.

[jim jones]

From what I have heard if Delhi isnt ready for 2010 then the games will be cancelled all-together!

This is shocking and bloody hopeless.

I have heard another replacement that would save face for all concerned Pune, India which hosted the 2009 youth commonwealth games.

Hey Why not Glasgow 2014 after all they are supposed to be opening that Velodrome next year ER oh I forgot another delayed project in Glasgow .

I wonder who has a IAAF Class one Stadium of 60000 seats , A schuermann indoor Velodrome, A Fina Aquatics centre and other assets needed for the games ?????

UUUUMMMM .

Never Mind

Jim Jones

[Rob2012]

Wrong thread Jones. Get back on those tablets.

[4gamesandcounting]

KL is surely the standby choice.

[Rob2012]

TNMP reckons there's no village there.

[4gamesandcounting]

Good point

[Rafa]

Screw the village. Bring in cruise ships to temporarily house athletes in Melbourne.

[Rafa]

Goodbye Kalmadi??

Congress for curbing Kalmadi

New Delhi October 17, 2009

The slanging match between 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and the Commonwealth Games Federation bosses is becoming an embarrassment for the government.

So much so that it wants to take strong steps to curb Kalmadi to ensure things do not go out of hand.

With less than a year to go for the Games to begin, the sinking feeling in the Congress-to which Kalmadi belongs-and at the Centre is that time is being wasted on needless issues, and that a personality clash between Kalmadi and CGF CEO Mike Hooper could jeopardise the event.

There is a growing body of opinion in the Congress that it is time the Prime Minister stepped in to tame Kalmadi and salvage the situation before the nation faces international embarrassment.

Alarmed at the tardy progress on the Games infrastructure and Kalmadi's controversy, a Congress leader close to 10, Janpath suggested that the Prime Minister set up a high-level committee to monitor the Games' preparedness.

He also suggested the Prime Minister himself head it, or ask Congress president Sonia Gandhi or general secretary Rahul Gandhi to head the panel.

"The committee could also include noted sports administrators, MPs who are interested and are familiar with sports," he said. "The 1982 Asian Games was a small affair compared to the Commonwealth Games, yet then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had put her son and future Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in-charge of the organising and he did a commendable job." He said Kalmadi's ego clashes with Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit and sports minister M. S. Gill combined with his penchant to annoy senior officials like Mike Hooper have not gone down well with the establishment.

His seemingly casual attitude towards organising the Games is also a picking point.

For instance, a few days ago, when Commonwealth Federation officials from 70 countries were in the Capital for the General Assembly, Kalmadi chose to visit his Pune Lok Sabha constituency where Rahul Gandhi was to address election meetings.

Though he returned the same evening, government sources said it betrayed his causal approach to his responsibility.

Ever since CGF president Mike Fennel's criticism on Monday of New Delhi's tardy preparation, Indian officials have been smarting.

Kalmadi took the criticism as a personal attack and waited for the Indian Olympic Association executive committee meeting on Wednesday before deciding to launch an attack on Hooper.

He also opposed the independent technical review panel that the CGF wants to set up to oversee the preparations.

He then addressed the media on Thursday demanding Hooper be repatriated to the London office. Kalmadi not only called Hooper an impediment, but also said he is "not useful at all" and that he "has made no contribution in his two years here." Sources said senior government officials are asking why Kalmadi launched a personal attack on Hooper now. If Hooper was not doing any work, sources said, why wasn't it pointed out earlier? Even as calls for Kalmadi's sacking gained ground on Friday, sources said it is not easy to do so as he is the president of the Indian Olympic Association.

The norm is when a nation is allotted a big Games, it is the national Olympic Committee which contracts with the international federation.

But ever since Fennell said in August he feared a "partial failure" of the Games, people in government have woken up.

The latest appointment of Jarnail Singh, a retired secretary in the ministry of overseas Indian affairs, who took over as CEO of the CWG 2010 is being seen as the first step where Kalmadi's powers could be curbed. Insiders also hint at more top-level bureaucratic appointments soon.

"After all, it is a matter of national prestige and India's stature in the global arena," a Congress source said.

Senior Congress leader and former sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar suggested the formation of an apex committee or a special organising committee to supervise all aspects of the Games.

"I am not the least surprised by the controversy," Aiyar said.

"When I met Hooper and Fennell in July 2006 in London, they expressed their deep apprehension.

Kalmadi was present then.

In 2007, Hooper repeated his concern when I met him on a flight to Kuala Lumpur." Aiyar said that even before he had become sports minister, a group of ministers headed by former HRD minister Arjun Singh had decided to set up an apex committee comprising experts from various fields, including infrastructure.

"We had roped in excellent people," Aiyar said, "but the Organising Committee refused to cooperate rendering the panel redundant." Calling the Organising Committee unprofessional, Aiyar suggested the special organising committee to be similar to that of the 1982 Asian Games, when the IOA president was removed from all functions and a team under late Rajiv Gandhi and then sports minister Buta Singh took over.

Aiyar said the legal hassles in removing Kalmadi are minimal even if he is the IOA chief.

"Even at this stage, an apex committee or a special organising committee can replace the existing OC. There were no legal hassles in 1982." Congress MP and former minister of state for external affairs Digvijay Singh expressed confidence that the Games preparation will be on schedule, but added that India could not manage a pre- Games trial. "A year before the Olympic Games, China had organised a pre- game tournament," he said.

He said the Games put at stake the prestige of one billion people.

"Ultimately we will be able to conduct the Games successfully," he said.

When asked if he agreed with Kalmadi's style of functioning, he said: "I don't think individuals matter. A whole body of eminent people are involved - the Prime Minister, sports minister, Delhi chief minister, bureaucrats, GoM and others." He added: " What matters is the nation, not an individual. After a successful Commonwealth Games nobody will remember who headed the Organising Committee, only the nation will be appreciated. We have one year to go. I am confident everybody will rise to the occasion."

Courtesy: Mail Today

[jim jones]

Goodbye Kalmadi??

Congress for curbing Kalmadi

New Delhi October 17, 2009

The slanging match between 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and the Commonwealth Games Federation bosses is becoming an embarrassment for the government.

So much so that it wants to take strong steps to curb Kalmadi to ensure things do not go out of hand.

With less than a year to go for the Games to begin, the sinking feeling in the Congress-to which Kalmadi belongs-and at the Centre is that time is being wasted on needless issues, and that a personality clash between Kalmadi and CGF CEO Mike Hooper could jeopardise the event.

There is a growing body of opinion in the Congress that it is time the Prime Minister stepped in to tame Kalmadi and salvage the situation before the nation faces international embarrassment.

Alarmed at the tardy progress on the Games infrastructure and Kalmadi's controversy, a Congress leader close to 10, Janpath suggested that the Prime Minister set up a high-level committee to monitor the Games' preparedness.

He also suggested the Prime Minister himself head it, or ask Congress president Sonia Gandhi or general secretary Rahul Gandhi to head the panel.

"The committee could also include noted sports administrators, MPs who are interested and are familiar with sports," he said. "The 1982 Asian Games was a small affair compared to the Commonwealth Games, yet then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had put her son and future Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in-charge of the organising and he did a commendable job." He said Kalmadi's ego clashes with Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit and sports minister M. S. Gill combined with his penchant to annoy senior officials like Mike Hooper have not gone down well with the establishment.

His seemingly casual attitude towards organising the Games is also a picking point.

For instance, a few days ago, when Commonwealth Federation officials from 70 countries were in the Capital for the General Assembly, Kalmadi chose to visit his Pune Lok Sabha constituency where Rahul Gandhi was to address election meetings.

Though he returned the same evening, government sources said it betrayed his causal approach to his responsibility.

Ever since CGF president Mike Fennel's criticism on Monday of New Delhi's tardy preparation, Indian officials have been smarting.

Kalmadi took the criticism as a personal attack and waited for the Indian Olympic Association executive committee meeting on Wednesday before deciding to launch an attack on Hooper.

He also opposed the independent technical review panel that the CGF wants to set up to oversee the preparations.

He then addressed the media on Thursday demanding Hooper be repatriated to the London office. Kalmadi not only called Hooper an impediment, but also said he is "not useful at all" and that he "has made no contribution in his two years here." Sources said senior government officials are asking why Kalmadi launched a personal attack on Hooper now. If Hooper was not doing any work, sources said, why wasn't it pointed out earlier? Even as calls for Kalmadi's sacking gained ground on Friday, sources said it is not easy to do so as he is the president of the Indian Olympic Association.

The norm is when a nation is allotted a big Games, it is the national Olympic Committee which contracts with the international federation.

But ever since Fennell said in August he feared a "partial failure" of the Games, people in government have woken up.

The latest appointment of Jarnail Singh, a retired secretary in the ministry of overseas Indian affairs, who took over as CEO of the CWG 2010 is being seen as the first step where Kalmadi's powers could be curbed. Insiders also hint at more top-level bureaucratic appointments soon.

"After all, it is a matter of national prestige and India's stature in the global arena," a Congress source said.

Senior Congress leader and former sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar suggested the formation of an apex committee or a special organising committee to supervise all aspects of the Games.

"I am not the least surprised by the controversy," Aiyar said.

"When I met Hooper and Fennell in July 2006 in London, they expressed their deep apprehension.

Kalmadi was present then.

In 2007, Hooper repeated his concern when I met him on a flight to Kuala Lumpur." Aiyar said that even before he had become sports minister, a group of ministers headed by former HRD minister Arjun Singh had decided to set up an apex committee comprising experts from various fields, including infrastructure.

"We had roped in excellent people," Aiyar said, "but the Organising Committee refused to cooperate rendering the panel redundant." Calling the Organising Committee unprofessional, Aiyar suggested the special organising committee to be similar to that of the 1982 Asian Games, when the IOA president was removed from all functions and a team under late Rajiv Gandhi and then sports minister Buta Singh took over.

Aiyar said the legal hassles in removing Kalmadi are minimal even if he is the IOA chief.

"Even at this stage, an apex committee or a special organising committee can replace the existing OC. There were no legal hassles in 1982." Congress MP and former minister of state for external affairs Digvijay Singh expressed confidence that the Games preparation will be on schedule, but added that India could not manage a pre- Games trial. "A year before the Olympic Games, China had organised a pre- game tournament," he said.

He said the Games put at stake the prestige of one billion people.

"Ultimately we will be able to conduct the Games successfully," he said.

When asked if he agreed with Kalmadi's style of functioning, he said: "I don't think individuals matter. A whole body of eminent people are involved - the Prime Minister, sports minister, Delhi chief minister, bureaucrats, GoM and others." He added: " What matters is the nation, not an individual. After a successful Commonwealth Games nobody will remember who headed the Organising Committee, only the nation will be appreciated. We have one year to go. I am confident everybody will rise to the occasion."

Courtesy: Mail Today

Not Surprising really if you watch the video of the exchanges Hooper had with the media in India. The India media personalities on air seem to shake their heads and not at Hooper. I have watched a couple over the last year and to me it is incredible that you see these well spoken journalists in as modern a studio setting as any in the world while they talk about the games construction being behind as they have pained looks on their faces of 'man the embarrassment fro India'

Hooper carried himself in a polite manner taking interviews and keeping is professional while an official supporting Kalmadi used the Term imperialist games .

Kalmadi in the India Media Reports was shown to have a lazy attitude towards things .

Jim Jones

[thatsnotmypuppy]

I think one of three things will happen in the next few weeks - all have major ramifications.

1 - Delhi is stripped of 2010 - no Games at all.

2 - The CGF allows a once only delay of the Games to a mutually agreeable non-conflict time - say March/April 2011 - after the major 2010/2011 international cricket season is complete.

3 - A substitute city is arranged - KL could feasibly host the athletes in a mixture of Uni dorms, hotels and homestays - but security would be impossible. Melbourne does not have the port space required for cruise ships to host 6,000+ athletes - nor would we want to. As dumb as this sounds (and I have floated this idea before) maybe the CGF could reach out to Dubai? They have enough empty condos and hotels for the athletes and most sporting infrastructure - plus a huge expat population in the immediate area. It could be an option - but unlikely.

Number 3 is almost impossible to organise in the allowed timeframe - at least for late 2010. 2011 maybe.

Number 2 would publically embarass the Indians but would allow them to save face by making sure eerything is sorted within the additional 6 months. It is a compromise.

Number 1 would be awful.

Just one final (possibly controversial) point. Any interaction I had with Indian sports administration or media in my previous media roles were always awkward. Most higher caste Indians are just not equipped with empathy or to be hu,ble. They are brought up believing they are the superior race. I know how that sounds but sadly it is the truth. Any forced intervention will be taked as a tremendous insult as frankly they believe they know better.

Edited October 19, 2009 by thatsnotmypuppy

[baron-pierreIV]

Oh, let them go ahead with at least at Opening Ceremony!! They had a great Handover segment in Melbourne. They at least deserve a knockout Opening. Who cares if there are no Games or athletes after that?

[thatsnotmypuppy]

I would be happy to let the Indians go until March/April 2011 over a full cancellation. The CGF will have to make some big decisions very, very quickly though.

Edited October 19, 2009 by thatsnotmypuppy

[Rafa]

With FIFA's list of demands you would expect the South African 2010 LOC to be less humble and more vocal.

The CWG Federation has only tried to help where possible.

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Exactly - the CGF has taken a huge risk with Delhi and wants it to work for everyone involved - however internal Indian politics is just bugfuck crazy. They are just as insistent on not losing 'face' as the Chinese.

[micheal_warren]

I would be happy to let the Indians go until March/April 2011 over a full cancellation. The CGF will have to make some big decisions very, very quickly though.

I agree with you. It is unlikiely that the games will be moved any where else and cancelling the games would be a massive loss to the commonwealth.

You are right: The CGF needs to make urgent decisions on this.

[Ruling Czar]

Not getting this right could signal the end of India's "Olympic Host" dreams

[Apple]

It went all downhill when New Delhi basically brided for votes during the 2010 Commonwealth race.

[jim jones]

Exactly - the CGF has taken a huge risk with Delhi and wants it to work for everyone involved - however internal Indian politics is just bugfuck crazy. They are just as insistent on not losing 'face' as the Chinese.

I think the Commonwealth Games is not in the position to pick and choose frankly . Manchester 2002 was unopposed with Adelaide, Australia and Johannesburg South Africa

saying we are interested in bidding and then no thanks when they learn the costs vs benefits.

Melbourne 2006 basically bullied Wellington to surrender having Melbourne go unopposed . Orphaned bid cycles have come close with the CWG's . It was not unlike 1966 that you had a real international bid competition for the games and then 10 years after those games you had back to back unopposed hosts for 1982 and 1986

The choice for the Commonwealth Games federation in 2003 was to either Reject India for a third time or place the games in the same nation hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010.

Kuala Lumpur had the support of New Delhi withdrawing their bid for 1998 thus having Kuala Lumpur Vs Adelaide.

It must to troubling for the Federation to think that Cities thinking about the games then make their own version of cutting themselves from a short list. Calgary was in the 2014 Canadian Domestic bid and they saw the games were of little use to them. Halifax the winner of the domestic bid withdrew themselves . The Commonwealth Games may indeed never come back to the Americas. It has become a two stadium affair basically and no commonwealth nation in the amercia's hemisphere is going to put that type of efford ino the games .

It might have been the Pc thing to do picking New Delhi but a year out from Manchester 2002 you can find the Cancellation talk in news Articles for those games as well.

Barry Maister of New Zealand's olympic committee actually went as far as to criticize The Athletes Accoms(which were college dorms not an athletes village ) and the Aquatics Venue. Thou you have venues badly needing a speed up in New Delhi you still have phase for the Athletes Village in regards to the examples of what the rooms will be . The problem is to replicate that across the entire games infrastructure in time.

The Commonwealth Games federation will take what they can get as really the life of the games continuing depends on actually staging them no matter what. No city is going to step forward and rescue the games . The costs for that without benefits is way to great.

Jim Jones

[NOC]

Jim PLEASE Enough about other Games

The criticism directed to Delhi 2010 is the fault of Delhi 2010. I was there, I saw it, and the CGF are not to blame on this.

Forget the past, forget what was done and promised before

This is the fault of the OC of Delhi 2010 and not the CGF, what they did before, who they did it to, how it was done etc. I know you are here to stir the pot but honestly it need to be in the correct forum

[jim jones]

It went all downhill when New Delhi basically brided for votes during the 2010 Commonwealth race.

well this why you really have to think if you have many electors to the Commonwealth Games host as IOC members or National Olympic Committee executive that the Old Practices of Bribery with the IOc will Still go on with the Commonwealth Games if the Commonwealth Games indeed does not take up the new standard Jacques Rogge introduced to the IOC.

Visiting candidate Cities for he Federation is still there, th Giving of gifts to electors still there . College Educations well Glasgow UNI has 50 students from Developing Commonwealth Nations as their post "win" package. Draw your own conclusions.

The Federation corrected the training grant thing hoping Canada would submit a bid. Canada Submitted a bid with the most likely to lose city in Canada Being Halifax.

I can't even begin to imagine a Halifax 2014 win . Louise Martin was told by a high official in the Federation Halifax in the first round winner.

If it is that corrupt then the Federation has made its own bed .

jim jones

[jim jones]

Jim PLEASE Enough about other Games

The criticism directed to Delhi 2010 is the fault of Delhi 2010. I was there, I saw it, and the CGF are not to blame on this.

Forget the past, forget what was done and promised before

This is the fault of the OC of Delhi 2010 and not the CGF, what they did before, who they did it to, how it was done etc. I know you are here to stir the pot but honestly it need to be in the correct forum

So basically lets ignore history and say it is India's fault ? Please the Federation are Adults who author their own misfortunes time and time again .

Jim jones

[oakydoky]

So basically lets ignore history and say it is India's fault ? Please the Federation are Adults who author their own misfortunes time and time again .

Jim jones

Your interpretation of history is shared but no-one other than yourself since you are prejudice in your assessment of past Commonwealth games hosts i.e. you created a thread to mock Manchester 2002 when even a brain-dead monkey can discern that Manchester staged an exemplary games but due to hating Britain so much you lie about your assessments.

Anyway, India's faults are their own. No-one forced the games upon them and no-one has tied their hands up so that they can't build their venues and infrastructure.

P.S. Please don't mention Abuja or Glasgow 2014 in your inevitable rant but I bet you do!

[micheal_warren]

Jim PLEASE Enough about other Games

The criticism directed to Delhi 2010 is the fault of Delhi 2010. I was there, I saw it, and the CGF are not to blame on this.

Forget the past, forget what was done and promised before

This is the fault of the OC of Delhi 2010 and not the CGF, what they did before, who they did it to, how it was done etc. I know you are here to stir the pot but honestly it need to be in the correct forum

Exactly!

[jim jones]

Your interpretation of history is shared but no-one other than yourself since you are prejudice in your assessment of past Commonwealth games hosts i.e. you created a thread to mock Manchester 2002 when even a brain-dead monkey can discern that Manchester staged an exemplary games but due to hating Britain so much you lie about your assessments.

Anyway, India's faults are their own. No-one forced the games upon them and no-one has tied their hands up so that they can't build their venues and infrastructure.

P.S. Please don't mention Abuja or Glasgow 2014 in your inevitable rant but I bet you do!

Well of course I have to excuse you Hairy Head Wound as apparently you can't read . too many knife wounds on a friday night ?

For how long did I present the Evidence while all you did what present stupid photoshop mark ups ? Not one Good News story presented in that Thread .

It is pretty clear without a paragraph of commentary that was not there purposelly on my part that you have absolutely nothing to contribute to my Thread Manchester 2002 the Good the Bad the Ugly. In other words there was no solid evidenced of good only 'oh gosh we staged the games no one watches on earth raw raw from excite folks in the UK.'

So is it Glasgow 2014's Fault that they Renege on a bid Commitment of a Airport to city Centre Rail Link costing 400 million pounds ? No that is the Scottish Governments Fault or in other words the master of the committee. Or is it Westminster that will not bend over to give funding for major infrastructure projects with threats from a Retard in Hollyrood?

Again it is pretty clear the UK repeats their ineptness generation after generation in some areas. The latest one from scotland is the SNP leader Demanding 800 million pounds from the either the Labor or Tory parties to be in power in the 2010 elections for the UK. Got a hint for you Cameron's Answer is no . The best Scotland has for political power is 59 seats in the house of commons out of 640 plus seat total or less then 10 percent. The tory Estimate is they might have two seats from north of England boarder and 4 in their very wildest dreams . 800 million pounds is pretty expensive extortion for less then a percentage point of Tory Members from Scotland in the house .

Yeah I have provided up Glasgow 2014 in a Delhi 2010 Trend but of course hey why not .

The subject after the New Delhi games I am sure will be Oh no not again . another place that can't stage without sliding back on commitments ?

It has happened on many occasions with many games all over the earth . Especially in the place that has hosted the most . The White Nations.

Jim jones

[jim jones]

Exactly!

exactly we ignore how the superior Races of Northern Europe has conducted the very same games in their recent pass ?

Is there not a saying he who lives in a glass house should not cast stones ?

Jim jones