The Standpoint

Fennel to visit India over CWG Concerns

Dikshit: ‘Satisfied and Nervous’

By

Karan Deep Singh

After sending a letter to the Executive Board of the 2010 Games Organising Committee headed by the Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi, Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennel is expected to visit India next week to share concerns over the slow progress of the capital’s preparations for the Games to be held in October next year.

Fennel is expected to hold talks with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his six day visit and will preside over meetings of the Federation’s Executive Board and all member nations and will advise them of agreed strategies to address the issues about Delhi’s preparedness, according to the Federation statement.

In a letter sent on 13^th September, Fennel had expressed serious concerns over the Organising Committee’s ability to host the mega-sporting event up to the standards set by the last two editions of the Games in Manchester and Melbourne.

While questions were being raised by the Federation, Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi reacted and said that the Games will be on time. However, she said that they were a little nervous about the 2010 Games: “We are satisfied with the progress but we are also nervous about the completion of the work”.

Nervous yet satisfied, we hope Madam Chief Minister someday won’t come up and say: Oh, that was indeed ‘unexpected’!