Sunday, August 17, 2008

Officials Expressed Concerns over Games Preparations

Officials Express Concerns over Games PreparationsI have posted on a topic about Delhi to learn from Chinese preparation model, in which I have quoted that some officials are visiting China to learn about their preparation of Olympic Games, which would help us in making better preparations for 2010 Commonwealth Games. Now when they have returned lets see what their opinion on the topic is:

Indian sports officials visiting Beijing to study the arrangements for the Olympic Games are having serious doubts about whether Delhi would be ready to host the Commonwealth Games by 2010.
‘‘It is not merely a question of infrastructure. It is the quality of organization. The manner in which the Olympics are being conducted makes me wonder if we can handle the job in 2010,’’ a senior official connected with the Commonwealth Games said, and added: ‘‘The Chinese are simply excellent in both allocating and implementing tasks. We work through committees with everyone escaping responsibility.’’
Visiting sports officials are expected to influence the decision-making process concerning the Commonwealth Games based on their experience in Beijing. But some of them worry that their feedback might be cast aside because it may hurt vested interests.
‘‘The Chinese have used existing infrastructure like the Workers’ Stadium and built new facilities as well. I am wondering if it was wise to reconstruct Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium instead of building a new one,’’ another official said. The official felt that there was very little time left for the Commonwealth Games to make major changes in design and layout and said ongoing work was already behind schedule.
‘‘Besides Beijing, the Olympic Games are being held in four co-host cities — Tianjin, Qingdao, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Why can’t we too involve other Indian cities instead of organizing all events in Delhi, which may not be able to handle the load?’’ an official said. This would also take visitors from abroad across the country and boost tourism, he added.
‘‘The Chinese seem to have planned meticulously right down to every minute detail. We are nowhere near them,’’ he said. Even the process of observing and learning from Beijing should have started much earlier, the official said.
The manner in which nearly 200,000 volunteers have been trained and mobilized is another lesson to be learnt for the 2010 Games in Delhi, an official observed. Volunteers are playing a key role in Beijing and helping develop a sense of nationalism connected to hosting of the Olympic Games. ‘‘A sense of nationalism is essential for any country not only to host such an event,’’ the official said.

Source: Times of India News Paper Delhi Edition

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