CoCom still concerned about venue delays

New Delhi: In their final visit to the country before the Commonwealth Games, the CGF Coordination

Commission today expressed concern at the delay in the completion of two key venues and athletes` village which, it said, posed "substantial" challenge to the event. Addressing a press conference at the end of four-day visit to the country, CoCom chairman Austin Sealy said "remarkable" progress has been made since their last sojourn in December but lot of works still remained to be done. "The main concern is the delay in the delivery of major sports venues, particularly JLN Stadium, Talkatora Swimming Complex as well as Games Village, which will be opened on September 16. These delays have a knock-on effect and hamper the Organising Committee`s planning and implementation for final preparations," he said. "We are confident that the test events at these venues will be held in time. There has been rapid progress since our last visit in December but lots of work still remain to be done. We urge the OC for an increased acceleration in all areas which pose a substantial time and delivery challenge for the Games," he added. Asked what are the improvements the CoCom can identify since last December, Sealy merely said that the OC has the capacity to complete the task at hand in time. "What we have attempted was to ensure that the OC does not lose sight of the slippages whatever the reasons may be. But we are satisfied that they have the capacity to deliver. We are confident that they would complete every aspect of the Games in time," Sealy, also the Commonwealth Games Federation Treasurer, said. "In December 2009, 70 critical issues were identified by the Coordination Commission and as on May 5, 2010, this has been reduced to 38," he said. Sealy said that the CoCom was satisfied with the security arrangements by the Indian government and the message to all participating countries was that there was no need to worry in this regard. "Security is always a challenge. We cannot lose sight of it till the end of the Games. CoCom is satisfied with the security arrangements by government of India and police authorities. CGF continues to work closely with the OC, Delhi Police and the Governments of India and Delhi to monitor all Games security arrangements. "My message to all the countries is that the security arrangements are upto the mark and they need not fear. All the necessary security arrangements have been made and the Indian authorities have not left any stone unturned in this regard," said the official from Barbados. CGF Chief Executive Mike Hooper said the CoCom wants no further slippage in the completion of Games venues. "We have never made secret of our unhappiness at the delay in completion of venues. But now SAI and the government said the two venues and the Games Village will be completed in time. The JLN Stadium will be completed by June 30. We hope there should not be any more slippages," said Hooper. Asked whether the CGF was satisfied with the conduct of the test events, Hooper said, "We have had eight test events and some more to go. Our feedback has been that it has been progressive from the World Cup Hockey to Asian Badminton Championships. Some more test events are being lined up and these will be the real tests of the preparedness of the Games." Sealy accepted OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi`s suggestion to CoCom members to visit as individual members till the inauguration of the Games though they would no more come here as a group. Kalmadi thanked the OC for their advice and said the country would deliver the best Games ever. "We are thankful to the CoCom for their advice in all aspects of the Games. What they said has meant a lot to us. We are on course to deliver the best Games ever," he said. Earlier, the CoCom received detailed presentations from the OC and its delivery partners. It also received reports from the various venue construction agencies on the progress of competition venues, the athletes` village and other Games` infrastructure projects and undertook site visits to the main venues. PTI