NEW DELHI: India could miss out on hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010 if a dispute over the construction of the athletes' village is not
resolved, a senior Games official said on Wednesday.
The four-yearly Games featuring 71 teams from the Commonwealth countries are due to be held in the Indian capital of New Delhi from October 3-14, 2010.
The athletes' village being built on the banks of the Yamuna river has been embroiled in a legal tussle after environmental groups protested the construction would ruin the river bed.
The Delhi High Court has asked an environmental expert to probe if the village that is to house 8,500 athletes and officials should be built on the site.
The third youth Commonwealth Games held in Pune , India have come to a close.
It was the first time Pune hosted such a big event and probably the city experienced its busiest time in history.
There was so much traffic all around the roads and the shops made a kill. It was an event in which many of those who arrived as strangers left as friends.
Ordinary Indians also had a chance to rub shoulders with peoples of different nationalities.
Spectators will definitely remember the joy and tribulation of winning at such an international event.
Some will also never forget the pain of failing to conquer when the world was watching . However, as the curtain falls, the lasting impression is the humility and the simplicity with which Indians carried themselves in their interaction with their guests.
Indians, young and old, illiterate or educated came together to offer the unforgettable hospitality.
"God morning sir, where are you from and how do you find Pune," was a common form of greeting whenever they met a foreigner. It was an event that was characterized by many gifts for competitors. They ranged from French cosmetics and clothes produced by the finest Indian designers.
The third Commonwealth Youth Games at Balewadi concluded on Saturday. India topped the medals tally.
Hosts India shed their tag of poor performers at Olympic sports and pulled of a major upset at the Commonwealth Youth Games that concluded in Pune on Saturday by topping the standings with a rich haul of 76 medals.
Showing a marked improved performance at a time when the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge was present, India betterd their last edition's medals tally by leaps and bounds wrapping up the seven-day extravaganza with 33 gold, 26 silver and 17 bronze.
Last edition's champions Australia finished on the second spot with 24 gold, 19 silver and 22 bronze, while England with 18 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze secured the third spot.
In last edition of the Games at Bendigo four years back, India could manage to garner only 10 medals (two gold, four silver and four bronze medals) to settle for a poor eighth place finish. Australia had ruled the roost there with 58 gold, 41 silver and 30 bronze, while England and South Africa had finished on second and third spots respectively.
In one of the best performances by Indian athletes at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), the hosts emerged on the top of the table with 74 medals, including 33 gold, 25 silver and 16 bronze on the penultimate day of the event here Friday.
In boxing, Thokchom Nanao Singh defeated Davies Zack of Wales in light flyweight (84 kg) category.
"I was confident of winning gold and it turned out to be a easy bout. I will be preparing for the Commonwealth Games now," said Singh.
Virothu Shanthosh fetched India yet another yellow metal in the welterweight (89 kg) category beating South African Alexander Jonker.
Weightlifting gave India two silver medals. Harbhajan Singh from Punjab lifted 120 kgs in the 85 kg category to come second. "I am very disappointed. I was aiming for gold all through," said Harbhajan.
Shrishti Singh from Bihar in the 69 kg category gave India another silver.
It was an excellent day for the shuttlers with Saina Nehwal beat Sikki Reddy in a tough match 23-21, 22-20.
At the end of the match, a relieved Saina said: "I was very tense, especially at the match point. I feel I am too aggressive and need to work on my defence."
In men's single's, V. Gurusai Dutt defeated Prakash Aditya to win gold.
In swimming, India's performance was rather dismal. Ace swimmer Vir Dhaval Khade saved the blushes with victory in the backstroke 50 meters.
Overall, the Indians ranked seventh in the pool with three gold, three silver and one bronze.
It's a shame that such a big international event is going on in the country but the national media has not alloted even ten minutes airtime in its sports segment to the Youth Games..
It would not surprise me if the youth in the country is not aware of the Commonwealth Youth Games currently going on in Pune. Thanks to our mainstream media. It a shame that such a big international event is going on in the country but the national media has not alloted even ten minutes airtime in its sports quarter to the Youth Games.
It is shocking that a sports event which includes over 1,300 athletes from 71 countries and which is being held for the first time in Asia is going unnoticed by our mainstream media.
It is an irony that India as a country gets a Olympic medal, the media criticises the government and authorities for its sheer neglect. But now when it has the responsibility to cover this mega sports event and thus, promote sports like athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weight-lifting and wrestling, it is sitting back and counting its TRPs (Television Rating Points).
Sports in India does not mean just cricket, it means other sports too. When we Indians start understanding this, then only we can hope for a respectable place in the Olympics medal tally. And for this the media has to come forward and give sports events like Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 its due coverage.
The chaos on the opening day of the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) here forced the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi to admit that organisationally a lot needs to be done to organise mega events. A busy Kalmadi was seen running around, taking stock of various venues at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports City, Balewadi, the official venue of the Games.
Kalmadi, who is also the Chairman of CYG, seemed a little concerned over the organisational aspect of the Games.
"The air-conditioning broke down at the shooting range, similar incidents have been happening at various other venues. The CYG is a trial run and we will make sure such things do not happen at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi," said an embarrassed Kalmadi.
The Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennel also seemed concerned. He told reporters that the Games seem technically sound, but what concerns him is the organisation part of it.
"Even as the official rights for the covering the event have been given to the Public broadcasters, we can still see various Indian channels taking live shots of the event, this is completely against the ethics of the Games," lamented Fennel.
The `Pune Pattern' in the civic body may have denied publicity and entertainment funds for the Commonwealth Youth (CYG) games, but the Congress party has ensured that citizens get to watch the Games without having to go to the venue by putting up four LED and 14 LCD screens across the city.
A digital screen installed on F C road showing live events on Monday
Last month, the issue had made headlines when a proposal suggested that Rs 19.5 crore be spent on CYG publicity, was rejected by the NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena. They said that using that kind of money was a waste of public money. Part of the funds were to be spent on LCD screens.
The CYG organising committee has, instead, decided to spend money on putting up the screens.
"We made sure that Punekars are not denied the fun and excitement happening in their own city," city Congress unit chief Abhay Chhajed told TOI.
"It is not possible for everyone to go to the Games, but, at the same time, they want to enjoy it in a charged up environment. We have made sure they get that," Chhajed said.
Places where the screens have been put up include Sarasbaug, Sambhaji park, opposite E-Square multiplex, near Bhide bridge and near Dagdusheth Ganapati temple. Akash Jagtap,a college student said that he enjoyed the opening ceremony of the CYG thoroughly after viewing it on the screen at Ganeshkhind road.
"A large crowd had gathered to view the spectacular show. I couldn't get tickets to see it live but I had a great time watching it on the big screen. And I absolutely loved Urmila Matondkar's Lavani programme. I look forward to watching the finals and the closing ceremony," said Akash.TNN
The chaos at the CYG continued on Monday and the latest addition came from none other than organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi.
Kalmadi, who was at the shooting ranges on Monday for the prize distribution ceremony, created a flutter when he said that private TV cameras can shoot the competitions. The announcement was surprising since Doordarshan (DD) are the exclusive broadcast right holders of the event and Kalmadi said it without consulting DD.
"Doordarshan's right is limited to only opening ceremony. Now, anyone can shoot the events," he said. The Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennel looked on helplessly as a mob of journalists including some TV cameramen entered the restricted competition area.
Top DD officials confirmed that Kalmadi did not speak to them before making the announcement.
Britain's sports minister Stewart Maxwell said the coming Commonwealth Youth Games (CWYG) in Pune will be a "pathway to success" for Scotland's sporting stars of the future.
"The Commonwealth Youth Games will give our sporting stars of the future a pathway to success in Delhi 2010, London 2012 and Glasgow 2014," Maxwell said before leaving for Pune.
Maxwell will be attending the CWYG in Pune from Oct 12, where 44 athletes in eight discipline will fly the flag for Scotland.
For an island-nation of around 60 million people, Britain offers a bewildering array of teams flying a variety of national flags.
Unlike in the Olympics, where Great Britain is the only team representing the country, it sends four separate teams to the Commonwealth Games - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - just as it does in World Cup football and cricket.
The Pune games will be the first where all 71 Commonwealth teams that are entitled to participate will be seen in action.
The third Commonwealth Youth Games began with a gamut of colours, fireworks and performances from Bollywood stars Hema Malini and Shreya Ghoshal at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Sunday.
Though the weather seemed to spoil the party initially but rain stayed away as the Games began with the official march-in of the 71 countries.
There might be an air of casualness in Indians' attire in Beijiing, but the 158 members and 40 officials of youth contingent sported the traditional attire of sherwani and Punjabi dress as the Indians marched in amid a roaring welcome by the crowd.
Chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' reverberated in the background as the Indian boys sporting green sherwani and the traditional Maharashtrian 'Feta' (turban) and girls in green Punjabi salwar-suit, were led by Virdhawal Khade who carried the Indian flag.
The Indians soon burst into bhangra as the whole athletics stadium resembled a miniscule Beijing from the top.
Aiming to do a Beijing, the march-in parade however would be best remembered with the thin representation from few countries.
While Cameroon saw a contingent of two members, British Virgin Islands had come with five members.
There were some display of traditional dances from the members of the Lesotho who sported bamboo hats.
The function began with a show of strength by the Army who displayed a few warm-up acts on motorcycles, followed up by some acrobatic display by Mewar horses.
President Pratibha Patil will inaugurate the third edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games on Sunday the guest list of which also includes
tennis player Sania Mirza's mother.
While Sania will not be able to attend the ceremony, her mother Naseema is in the list of dignitaries including the 'sprint queen' PT Usha, Karnam Malleshwari (weightlifting), Leander Paes (tennis), Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (shooting) and Anju Bobby George (long jump).
Also invited for the opening ceremony were India's Olympic medal winners.
Abhinav Bindra, his parents and sister will be at the Games village for three days starting on Saturday.
The ace shooter, who earned India the first individual Olympic gold in Beijing, will take part in the last leg of the Youth Baton Relay with fellow Olympic medallists Vijender Singh and Sushil Kumar.
Pugilist Akhil Kumar, who missed an Olympic medal by a whisker, will also join them.
President Patil is also expected to unveil the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj near the main athletics stadium at the Balewadi Sports Complex.
Playback singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal and Shankar Mahadevan will perform in Sunday's opening ceremony.
Former athlete Milkha Singh and former India spinner Bishan Singh Bedi have been invited for the closing ceremony on October 18. TNN
The venue of the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG)-2008 at Balewadi in Pune is yet to be formally handed over to the Pune police for final security arrangements, though just two days are left for the mega sporting event to kick off.
"The complex has still not been handed over. The digging work is still on. The police are being forced to conduct checks again and again, and this is increasing our work pressure. Security gadgets are to be installed and tested. For this, we need time," Pune police commissioner Satyapal Singh told TOI on Thursday.
Singh said, "We were to get possession of the CYG complex by September 25 as per the original plan set by the Games' organising committee. The deadline was later revised to September 30 owing to certain unfinished works. Later, we were told again by the committee that the handover would take place by October 5."
He added, "We now hope to get possession of the venue by October 10 as per the latest assurance given by the organisers. We are holding a meeting with the organising committee tomorrow (Friday) morning."
When contacted, Lt Gen (retd) Ashok Kapur, additional director-general, CYG, said, "The venue could not be handed over to the police due to some pending works, which are now completed. The police can take over the security charge on Friday."
No mobile phones, laptops and cameras. All those who enter the CYG zone have to leave all those gadgets behind and even eatables. The Pune Police in a bid to provide maximum security and ensure smooth going of CYG games came out on Thursday with strict guidelines.
Speaking at a press conference here the Commissioner of Police, Satyapal Singh said, "People will not be allowed to bring cameras and mobile phones into the games venue. Even though the entire complex has a Wi-Fi connection for security reasons only game officials, police personnel and the media personnel will be allowed to carry laptops to the venue."
People who are sick or are suffering from any ailment will have to get themselves checked by team of doctors who will be present at the venue. "Only after their certification that the person is genuinely unwell and suffers from a particular type of ailment will he be allowed to take his medicines inside the complex."
A Wi-Fi network is being put in place at the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) venue in Balewadi but the network planned for the CYG route from the airport to the venue is not yet complete. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), which is providing the network at the venue, describes it as "secure".
"Only authorised users will have access to the connections," said Neelkanth Poman, IT head of PCMC. These would mean players and officials involved with the Games.
"We are following police guidelines. Users will be given a login, a password and an identity proof. The Wi-Fi network will be functional within a 4 km radius of the venue but only authorised users will be access it We are also having the security checked by a third party," he added.
"With the help of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), we have been able to complete the task of providing the Wi-Fi cover. However, it is still being tested," PCMC commissioner Asheesh Sharma said.
The Wi-Fi network on the CYG route had been undertaken by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). "The road development work fell behind schedule, which is why we could not complete the unwiring of the CYG route," said Anupam Saraph, chief information officer (CIO) of the PMC. "When we started discussing this plan months ago, six firms showed an interest. However, when they saw that the work was not over, they expressed reservations," he added.
Sujit Singh, official of Microsense Pvt Ltd, the company through which PMC launched the `Unwired Pune' project, said, "The terrain has to be good, which is not so on the CYG route due to the incomplete road construction till recently. That created a major obstacle. Besides, the feasibility of the project needs to be checked, as the sportspersons will anyway be provided with Wi-Fi facility at the complex." TIE
After traversing thousands of kilometres through nine different states, the Youth Baton Relay (YBR) of the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) is finally arriving in the host city for a grand welcome. It will complete its 67 day journey which began from New Delhi on August 1. Starting Tuesday, the baton will be on a three-day parade within the city, before heading for the final venue point at Balewadi on October 12.
On Monday, the baton passed through the religious places, Dehu-Alandi, and took a halt at the industrial township of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Having flagged of from New Delhi, the baton has passed through nine different states.
The baton, projecting a three-pronged mission of promotion of Olympic sports, and spreading the messages of green games and save tiger mission, is planned to be given an impressive welcome in the city, as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the CYG organising committee and the district collectorate have chalked out elaborate plans. In the city run, eminent personalities from all walks of life will participate. On October 9, there will be a grand carnival starting from Baburao Sanas ground to Balewadi. The route it would take is: Bajirao Road, Vishrambaug Wada, Vishrambaug Wada, Laxmi Road, Alka Talkies chowk, Deccan, F C Road, Agriculture College, Pune University, Aundh and Baner.
On Tuesday, the YBR will reach Khadki cantonment area and will be brought into the city with a procession of cyclists carrying flags of the 71 participating countries. Later, sporting these flags on boats, the baton is scheduled to reach Bund Garden at 3 pm. After this, it would pass by Deccan College, Alandi Road, Airport Road, Gunjan Talkies chowk, Aga Khan Palace, Ramwadi octroi post, Wadgaon Sheri, Chandan Nagar, Kharadi, Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Fatima Nagar, Wanavdi, Ghorpadi, Koregaon Park, Wadia College chowk, Pune Station and would reach B J Medical ground by 8 pm where cultural events have been organised to give it a welcome.
The journey so far
Among the many modes of transportation, the baton took to the sea route as 101 swimmers took the baton from the Gateway of India in Mumbai to Uran, covering the distance of seven nautical miles. In Jhansi, the vintage cars carried the baton, while in Goa, `Santa Monica', a boat, was used.
The baton also visited famous religious places like the Durgah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz in Ajmer, Vitthal temple in Pandharpur, Bhavani Mata temple in Tuljapur, Guru Govindsingh Gurudwara in Nanded, Saibaba temple in Shirdi and temple of Gajanan Maharaj in Shegaon.
The YBR passed through a few tiger sanctuaries like Sariska in Rajasthan, Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, Pench in Nagpur, Tadoba in Chandrapur and Melghat region in Amaravati
