Serious risk to the 2010 Games

India needs to take immediate steps to ensure preparations are on track for the 2010 Commonwealth Games or risk jeopardising the event's success.

Construction work at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi is far behind schedule.

India needs to take immediate steps to ensure preparations are on track for the 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG) or risk jeopardising the event's success, an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official has admitted. The IOA secretary general Randhir Singh, a vice-chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, said the wake-up call issued by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chairman Michael Fennell earlier this week was valid.

Fennell warned the organising committee that plans were dangerously behind schedule, and must be sped up immediately if India were to be ready to host the event next year.  Admitting the fears were warranted, the International Olympic Committee member Singh said the "big issue was how the preparations would be staged." With the games scheduled to take place in New Delhi from October 3 to 14, 2010, wide-spread concerns have surfaced over the city's ability to support such an event, with preparations of venues and security measures lagging behind.

More than 5,000 athletes from 71 nations are expected to descend on India next year, for what will be the biggest multiple-sport event staged in India since the 1982 Asian Games. In an effort to get the CWG back on track, Fennell has demanded crisis talks with the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, as the Indian government have made substantial financial investments into the infrastructure. In a letter to the organising committee chief, Suresh Kalmadi, Fennell said he was "extremely worried about the committee's ability to deliver the games to any comparable standard to that of the last two editions of the Games in Manchester and Melbourne."

The 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England, were hailed a huge success, boosting the city's international reputation and leaving a legacy of world-class sporting facilities. Melbourne set an equally high standard in 2006 despite criticism over the rising costs of the event. In contrast to Singh's admission, Kalmadi, who is also president of the Indian Olympic Committee, moved to dispel any alarm by confirming all the venue construction would be completed on schedule by early next year.

The CGF's concerns, however, had followed a report published by a co-ordination commission which predicted a partial failure of the event if preparations continue at the current rate. The report said it was "reasonable to conclude that the current situation poses a serious risk to the Commonwealth Games in 2010."  Kalmadi moved to play down concerns raised by the report, saying the data used by the co-ordination commission was six-months-old and now out of date.

Singh remained more realistic, admitting that "there is no point arguing with the CGF on this."  "We need to reassure the CGF that we can host the best Commonwealth Games ever, which we can if we respond to the ringing alarm bells." "We now have to retrieve the games. The letter from Fennell shows that the organisation of the games is a major concern. It shows that he is very worried, and we need to make some immediate organisational changes to ensure we're up to the task."

Singh also voiced worries over the unprofessional conduct of sub-committees, who are responsible for advising the organising committee on preparations for the event.  "There are 23 committees looking into the various organisational aspects of the games but the chairmen of these committees hardly ever meet," he said. "Second, we need to give these committees more powers so that they don't have to run to the chairman of the organising committee for every small thing.

"At the moment, these committees only have an advisory role but they must have the power to take decisions." [e-mail]