CWG preparations satisfactory: Gill

New Delhi: Sports Minister MS Gill assured that all the venues for next month`s Commonwealth Games would be ready soon to welcome the sportspersons from 71 countries and territories.

"The preparations for the CWG are satisfactory and we are all ready to host the Games," Gill said on the sidelines of a function here to launch a song `Shera` for the mega-event. Gill said that earlier today he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to inform him that the Games` preparations are going on smoothly. "After the Cabinet meeting today I met him and told him that everything is fine," he said.Gill also said that the Indian swimmers have started practising for the Delhi Games since yesterday and the issues pertaining to delays in preparations have been all sorted out. Meanwhile, the song `Shera`, based on the mascot of the Delhi Games, is the third song that has been composed for this high-profile event, the other two being of A R Rahman and Palash Sen. The Sports Minister, while speaking highly about the song `Shera`, expressed hope that the October 3-14 Games will also reflect the same amount of energy and intensity.Admitting that prolonged monsoons this season have delayed a few things, Gill said, "It is expected that rains would be over by September 20 and we would also be able to have everything in place by then for successfully conducting the prestigious event." Randhir Singh, CWG Organising Committee vice-Chairman, OC Director General V K Verma and Tarlochan Singh, Chairman of Media and Publicity sub-committee of the Games, were also present on the occasion. PTI