Delhi facilities good?

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The Hindu newspaper

“Delegates impressed with arrangements at Games village”
Special Correspondent

A British Virgin Islands delegate, part of the 200-strong international delegation which visited seven Games venues across Delhi on Thursday, created a flutter of sorts.

Identifying himself as Patrick, he stepped out of the cordon thrown around the delegation and declared to the media, which was being kept at a distance, that, “Delhi has a lot of work to do. We expect to see a lot more.”

He was quickly ushered away by the officials.

Later in the day, Secretary-General of the Organising Commission of the Commonwealth Games-2010, Delhi, Lalit Bhanot told journalists: “All the delegates have expressed satisfaction with the transportation, routing, logistics, accommodation and travel arrangements. They also appear very impressed with the infrastructure.”

Stating that some of the delegates had found the arrangements at the Games Village to be better than five-star, he said the delegation had also visited the OC headquarters in the evening and also appeared pleased with the arrangements there.

Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the Organising Commission, CGF Secretary General Louise Martin and her colleagues in the delegation were highly impressed with the Games Village and hoped the athletes would enjoy the facility spread over 27 acres. It will house 8,000 sportspersons in its 4,000 bedrooms.

During the next three days, Mr. Bhanot said the delegates would be shown all the functional areas and following the Commonwealth General Body meeting on October 12, Mr. Fennel would have something to say on the visit.

Incidentally, Mr. Fennel, who had last month shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention in ensuring timely completion of all the Games-related works, had met Sports Minister M.S. Gill on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet is learnt to have approved additional funds for the timely completion of infrastructure projects.

Finding certain areas in which the organisers were lagging behind, the Cabinet on Thursday sanctioned extra funds. But a formal announcement was not made, apparently because the model code of conduct is in place.

The funds, sources said, are basically for upgrading the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies besides athletics, lawn bowls and weightlifting competitions are scheduled to be held. Some money has also been earmarked for Jamia Milia Islamia that would be the venue for some sporting events.

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The visiting Commonwealth Games [ Images ] delegation has given a thumbs-up to the under-construction Games Village, the organisers claimed in New Delhi [ Images ] on Thursday.

According to an Organising Committee statement, the CGF Secretary General Louise Martin and her colleagues in the delegation were highly impressed with the Games Village and hoped the athletes would enjoy the facility spread over 27 acres to house 8000 sportspersons in its 4,000 bedrooms.

“Absolutely fantastic. The athletes will enjoy,” Martin wrote in the Guest Book at the Games Village.

Craig Hunter, a delegate from England [ Images ], was also impressed with the Village, where the delegates were taken to Tower 9 and shown a set of furnished apartments.

“This is a wonderful Games Village and we look forward to stay here in 2010,” he wrote.

“After the completion of the Village, it seems to be better than staying in a five-star hotel,” gushed Tanzanian delegate Filbert Bayi.

The delegates also visited the Thyagraj Sports Complex and appeared to be satisfied with the progress.

They were split into two groups and taken on separate tours where the venue owners apprised them of the progress made, the pace at which construction is being carried on and the prospective dates of completion.

Meanwhile, even though Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi claimed the delegation was happy with the progress made so far, one of the delegates made it clear that they were far from impressed.

“We expected to see a lot more work, lot more than what has been accomplished so far. They still have a lot of work to do, whatever they are,” the delegate said.

Kalmadi, however, had a different version and he claimed the CGF delegation was satisfied with the progress.

“They all are happy at the moment with the work. They are here to visit the venues and I think they are quite happy,” Kalmadi said.

Extra fund for CWG

The Union cabinet approved additional fund for the expeditious completion of Capital’s infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

On a day when the Commonwealth Games Federation delegation inspected proposed venues to take stock of Delhi’s preparation for the Games, the cabinet decided to allot more money.

“There are certain areas in which the organisers are lagging behind and that’s why the cabinet decided to allot some extra fund so that infrastructure is ready well in time,” a source informed.

The money is especially for the Nehru Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremony besides athletics, lawn bowls and weightlifting competitions and Jamia Milia Islamia, venue for rugby 7s and table tennis.

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Under the heading of don’t believe what you see, believe what they are telling you.