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Games chief slams delays and 'unlivable' village
Source: Agencies |
September 22, 2010, Wednesday
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IT was meant to be emerging India's showcase event for the world - the coming out party the Olympics had been for Beijing. But preparations for next month's Commonwealth Games are down to the wire and the event risks descending into farce.
Severe delays in the completion of the athletes' village led Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell to contact the Indian government yesterday and urge them to finish work on the accommodation - which many have described as "unlivable" - in time for the October 3-14 games.
"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 20th, the Commonwealth Games Village is seriously compromised," Fennell said in a statement. "The CGF has asked the Cabinet Secretary to immediately deploy the necessary resources to fix all the outstanding issues to an acceptable level."
The athletes' village is due to open to the first 7,000 athletes and officials tomorrow.
The Times of India newspaper reported that only 18 of 34 residential towers at the village are complete.
New Zealand team manager Dave Currie said the games may not go ahead. "In the time frame that is left, unless there is tremendous effort and energy and problem-solving ability to get it done, it's going to be extremely hard to get across the line," Currie told a Kiwi radio station.
"If the village is not ready and athletes can't come, obviously the implications of that are that (the event) is not going to happen."
The buildup to the Commonwealth Games has been plagued by problems with construction of venues and infrastructure falling behind schedule, causing concern over the safety and quality of the buildings and speculation of corruption in the awarding of contracts and structural compliance certificates.
But the delays in construction have been overshadowed more recently by safety concerns, heightened on the weekend after two unidentified gunmen shot and wounded two tourists near the Jama Masjid mosque.
Other countries also voiced concern about the athletes' village.
Commonwealth Games Scotland said the area allocated to the team was "unsafe and unfit for human habitation," while Commonwealth Games England said "there is a lot to be done in the village and this needs to be done with some urgency so that it is ready for the arrival of our first athletes on Friday."
CGF chief executive Mike Hooper said organizers had not lived up to promises on delivery dates.
"The conditions continued to be appalling and so we felt the matter needed to be elevated. That is why our chairman spoke to top Indian government officials," Hooper said.
Severe delays in the completion of the athletes' village led Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell to contact the Indian government yesterday and urge them to finish work on the accommodation - which many have described as "unlivable" - in time for the October 3-14 games.
"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 20th, the Commonwealth Games Village is seriously compromised," Fennell said in a statement. "The CGF has asked the Cabinet Secretary to immediately deploy the necessary resources to fix all the outstanding issues to an acceptable level."
The athletes' village is due to open to the first 7,000 athletes and officials tomorrow.
The Times of India newspaper reported that only 18 of 34 residential towers at the village are complete.
New Zealand team manager Dave Currie said the games may not go ahead. "In the time frame that is left, unless there is tremendous effort and energy and problem-solving ability to get it done, it's going to be extremely hard to get across the line," Currie told a Kiwi radio station.
"If the village is not ready and athletes can't come, obviously the implications of that are that (the event) is not going to happen."
The buildup to the Commonwealth Games has been plagued by problems with construction of venues and infrastructure falling behind schedule, causing concern over the safety and quality of the buildings and speculation of corruption in the awarding of contracts and structural compliance certificates.
But the delays in construction have been overshadowed more recently by safety concerns, heightened on the weekend after two unidentified gunmen shot and wounded two tourists near the Jama Masjid mosque.
Other countries also voiced concern about the athletes' village.
Commonwealth Games Scotland said the area allocated to the team was "unsafe and unfit for human habitation," while Commonwealth Games England said "there is a lot to be done in the village and this needs to be done with some urgency so that it is ready for the arrival of our first athletes on Friday."
CGF chief executive Mike Hooper said organizers had not lived up to promises on delivery dates.
"The conditions continued to be appalling and so we felt the matter needed to be elevated. That is why our chairman spoke to top Indian government officials," Hooper said.
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