UK Delegation Gives the Thumbs Up to CW Preps
Two days after the two year countdown to the 2012 summer Olympics in London, the chief of the organising committee has given the thumbs up to the preparations for the common wealth games that are set to be staged in the capital of India, New Delhi in two months time.
The delegation from United Kingdom went through with the plans and reviewed a presentation made by the organisers as to how they are going to stage the largest sporting extravaganza that has taken place in the country over the last twenty-eight years.
The delegation met with Suresh Kalmadi, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee in New Delhi and expressed their satisfaction with the preparations that have been made, including the facilities for major sporting event and transportation and lodging arrangements for the athletes and officials.
Jeremy Hunt, Cultural Secretary of the United Kingdom was elated with the development plans and called them state of the art facilities that will be thoroughly be enjoyed by the participating athletes from all 71 countries.
He felt that the progress of preparations was spot on and that the games are set to have a lasting legacy effect, boosting India’s chances of staging other challenging and even bigger events in the near future.
He and his team were briefed by the organisers at the Commonwealth Games headquarters. "I am very impressed with what I have seen. Enormous attention to detail, for not just the 8, 000 athletes but 5,000 journalists, the opening ceremony, the security and I think it's very much on track. We are leading a wonderful sporting legacy for young people throughout India and we are very proud to be associated with it, we would share its success," said Jeremy Hunt, Cultural Secretary of the United Kingdom.
Hunt was flanked by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe who is heading the London 2012 Olympic Games Organising Committee.
Coe agreed with the assessments made by Hunt, whilst adding that he was eagerly looking forward to the mega sporting event at New Delhi in October. "I would like to compliment the whole of the organizing team for being so calm with 64 days to go for the opening ceremony. We have slightly longer in London and we too look forward to a spectacular championship," were the thoughts of Coe, who was two days ago given a pat on the back from the media for his plans and preparations for London 2012.
Earlier in June, the Indian government led by federal Sports Minister M S Gill had claimed that the infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games was one of the finest in the world, and his assessment has been given a nod by the UK delegation.
The assessment by the foreign delegation may help silence the Indian media who has laid into the organising committee claiming that they were well behind schedule and would fail to ignite the spark that the games deserve.
A staggering number of two million tourists from around the world are expected to converge to the Indian capital for the Games.
Besides about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states are going to vie for top honors in the 12 day long extravaganza that is the first show piece event in the country since 1982 Asian Games, the Games will be held from 3rd to 14th October.
Tags: