Updated on
Summary
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President Michael Fennell on Saturday said a considerable amount of work has been done on the 2010 Commonwealth Games, but problems still exist. Fennel, however, insisted that the safety and security of the visiting athletes was of utmost concern. We have been in touch with other delegations yet to come. We are monitoring the situation carefully. Safety and concern of the athletes will be of utmost concern, he added. Insisting that India was not the only country to have problems with sporting events of such magnitude, Fennel said that other Commonwealth Games hosting cities have also had their share of woes. Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who was also present on the occasion, assured everyone that security issues have been addressed. Earlier on Friday, Fennel accompanied by Kalmadi visited the Games Village to examine the state of the much-criticised complex. Fennell was expected to meet Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Thursday to press for his continual intervention to save the Commonwealth Games from possible collapse, but no meeting took place. Fennell had earlier expressed grave concern about the Games village in East Delhi, saying the facility is seriously compromised. Security concerns surrounding the Games have also been heightened in the wake of the shooting of two Taiwanese nationals traveling in a tourist bus outside the Jama Masjid in the walled city area here on Sunday. The 12-day sporting extravaganza, which kicks off on October 3, is India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.
