Share the blame for CWG Mess: Fennell

Nksagar-Sagar Media -New Delhi

Suresh Kalmadi said developer needs to hand over the venues to the organizing co
mmittee and said the venues ought to be handed to me in advance for further acti
on.
Fennell said considerable work has been done when we visited last,we are monitor
ing the situation firmly.He is to visit Games villages again today added there i
s huge improvement in two days and there are concern about Fire safety there is
extensive jobs needs to be done, security and transport is huge concern Fennell
to receive the reports today in the fire safety aspects. Fennell said there is n
eed of momentum going and is in touch with other delegates yet to arrive. Damage
has been done to India.To question for plethora of time why is the mess . Fenne
l said we are following the games development.We have coordinated in four years
visits within six months and our visits gave instruction for the work needed to
be done and clean up needed to be done is in all our reports.Remedial measure by
government is being undertaken
Fennell said the cleaning up surrounds the village, security,transport,tech serv
ices more equipments,medical services generally speaking matters relating to vil
lage for those participating needs to be geared up.
Media work done properly pleased to receive the news and green signals to the pa
rticipants they are asked to travel to India. No one is pulling out of the Games
Fennell said. "We are contemplating that athletes enjoy stay".There has been de
livery of cards and supply of building needs cleaning mortar down needs to be re
moved.Testing for fire alarm system and necessary system are working.We are insi
sting to get reports for safety and security.chef have done extremely hard and a
ll committed to games and this show positive mind exhibit their solidarity for t
he Commonwealth games and the teams are well looked after.Government agency have
done jobs nicely.safely and security of the athletes is necessary so the buildi
ng safety, alarm and other fire and safety ought to be in n order so are We moni
toring the system carefully.
CGF President Mike Fennell on Saturday said that everyone in the Commonwealth Ga
mes management has to share the blame for the lack of preparations ahead of the
Delhi edition but hoped that they would overcome the problems in the next eight
days for the successful conduct of the event. Eventually Fennell asked everyone
to share the blame for CWG mess.Further to controversial Mega events there is a
boost controversy-marred event, the Australian and New Zealand Commonwealth Game
s bosses on Friday confirmed participation of their teams in the Delhi Games, gi
ving a thumbs up to the much-criticised Athletes' Village.
After a visit on Friday morning to the Village which had come under attack from
various quarters over sanitary conditions, Australian Commonwealth Games Associa
tion chief Perry Crosswhite said his country was happy with the Village and that
their athletes are looking forward to the Games beginning 3rd October.
"We are quite happy with the Village and we are looking forward to the Games. Th
e Australian contingent is coming," he said.Addressing a press conference a day
after visiting the Games Village,"Absolutely, it's thumbs up to the Games," he s
aid, when asked about his assessment of the Games.Crosswhite was one of the stro
ngest critics till recently about the preparations for the mega event.After days
of indecision, New Zealand Olympic Committee also on Friday confirmed participa
tion in the Delhi Commonwealth Games after seeing positive steps being taken by
the organisers to improve the situation.
New Zealand Olympic Committee board gave its nod for the planned departures from
28th September after being briefed by NZOC President Mike Stanley and Secretary
General Barry Maister, who were in Delhi to take stock of the situation.Stanele
y said the situation was grim but it has started changing following intervention
by the state and the central governments."We remain hopeful that things can be
turned around. What we found was inexcusable and unacceptable but we've seen a c
hange in leadership and this is positive," Stanley said at a press conference in
Auckland.
Fennell said "considerable work has been done but still some more remains to be
done." With mess and mess up. despite the controversy-marred build-up, Fennell a
sserted that calling off the Games "was never" on Commonwealth Games Federation'
s (CGF) agenda.
Blaming the organizer for the delay in propping up the games facilities in times
, Fennell conceded that a lot of damage has been done to India's image.Flanked b
y embattled Organizing Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, Fennell said both Indi
a and the Commonwealth can learn a lesson from the shortcomings in organizing th
e 19th edition of the Games scheduled 3rd to 14th October."The massive work that
is being done now ought to have been done earlier," said Fennell.
"We all have to share the blame and responsibility. In any Games, there are a nu
mber of stakeholders, overall we have to ensure that we do everything to conduct
the Games." "Other Games have had problems and I believe that here also the pro
blems would be sorted. A number of issues should have been and could have been a
voided and that necessary corrective steps should be taken in good time," he add
ed."We are going to have good Games," he insisted.
"A lot of damage has been done to India, which is the largest Commonwealth count
ry. We need to learn lessons for hosting other events as well. This is part of t
he learning process. I hope India would have learnt a lesson, we would have lear
nt a lesson," he said.
Asked whether he felt let down by India, which won the hosting rights way back i
n 2003 but is in a desperate race against time to finish off the work, Fennell s
aid, "We are disappointed in a number of things." But the CGF boss said the time
for blame-game was over and the focus should now be on conducting a safe and su
ccessful Games whatever be the scale of effort required."If we are committed to
the same goal, we should not find faults and criticize each other because we all
want that the Games are celebrated properly," he said.Kalmadi said he wished th
e venues had been handed to OC a little earlier."I am the chairman of Organizing
Committee and I will take all the responsibility but I wish venues were handed
to us a little earlier," he said.
Fennell, accompanied by Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, Secretary
General Randhir Singh CGF CEO Mike Hooper, took stock of the arrangements at the
athletes Village, which was dubbed "filthy and uninhabitable" by visiting inter
national delegates a couple of days ago.
His statement came even as the first batch of 61 English athletes landed in the
capital but headed to hotels instead of the Village as their living area is stil
l not ready.English men's hockey team and the lawn bowling squad are among the 6
1 strong group of athletes.
England have committed participation in the Commonwealth Games and will be sendi
ng 551 athletes.The CGF boss, who was unimpressed with the pace of the work and
even shot off a letter to the Cabinet Secretary a few days ago, also briefed the
delegates about the work.
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