2010 Commonwealth Games thread (for updates!)

[pding]

i guess they're getting good at marketing

[Amit]

Originally Posted by Suncity

In case you missed the Chalo Delhi finale

http://media.putfile.com/CM-GAMES-CHALO-DELHI

AMAZING!! India put forward a simply spectacular show at the Melbourne games closing ceremony. World class performance by our movie stars, singers and dance choreographers. It was Slick!

[cptracker]

http://www.indianexpress.com/sunday/story/1635.html

See you in Delhi...No, not yet
Shubhajit RoyPosted online: Sunday, April 02, 2006 at 0000 hrs
NEW DELHI, APRIL 1
Last Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Diskhit received the ceremonial Commonwealth Games flag as the Melbourne mela wound up with the message, ‘‘See you in Delhi.’’ The Delhi 2010 delegation—a team including 11 MLAs, two ministers, the CM, L-G, Bollywood stars, dance troupe and officials which cost an estimated Rs 39 crore—returned early this week from Melbourne ‘‘overwhelmed.’’

But, barely three-and-half years to go, the Delhi government is yet to begin its preparations at the Ground Zero.
Ask Delhi’s Urban development minister Dr A K Walia and he’s confident: ‘‘We are sure to do it well before the Games.’’ He assures of forming a ‘‘high-powered committee’’ to ensure projects are not caught in approval-linked delays.
Chief Minister Dikshit too is all praise for Melbourne and is upbeat about Delhi. ‘‘The traffic, signages, transport and volunteers... they were all excellently arranged. We will do it, even better,’’ she says.
But, in a city—where a simple flyover takes two to 2.5 years to be constructed— officials say, construction has ‘‘to start by 2006 end’’. The government plans to build 13 flyovers to criss-cross on a fast lane.
The Sunday Express scratched the surface and found how the plans are yet to take off across all sectors.
• A tunnel road connecting the Games village with the main stadium, Jawaharlal Nehru stadium: Rs 135 cr
Status: feasibility study being done.
• 13 flyovers, six in south Delhi and seven in central Delhi, to connect various stadia: Rs 365 cr
Status: still on drawing boards and awaiting approvals
• Two bypasses, one of them to connect the stadium with the airports: Rs 30 crore Status: yet to get approval Upgrade: • Widen crucial roads to the airport: like the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, and interconnecting roads: Rs 80.5 cr • Improve 26 roads (including interlinking stadia with 13 roads): About Rs 68.10 cr • Improve major roads around stadia, upgradation of Rajpath, Connaught Place and its surroundings: Rs 19.55 crore

Status of all: To be done in 2009
• 55.48 km of Metro rail system, will link Games village and may go up to the airport.
Status: On track
• 51.20 km of integrated Rail Bus Transport system.
Status: Still on paper
• 98 km of High Capacity Bus system.
Status: Tenders yet to be awarded for first 13 km
• 32 km of electric trolley bus system.
Status: No study yet
• Light Rail Transit system.
Status: Still on paper
• 1,000 quality Radio taxis at airports and major railway stations.
Status: Expected by 2009
NEW BUSES
• 200 new AC buses and 100 mini-buses for athletes, managers and officers: Rs 100 cr
• 800 deluxe buses for park-and-ride services for spectators: Rs 160 cr
Status of both: Pre-bid conference already held, but tenders yet to be invited.
• Construction of 3 new ISBTs at Sarai Kale Khan, Dwarka and Narela.
Status: Bid process yet to happen
• Upgrade of existing bus terminals.
Status: Expected by 2008
• Improvement of surrounding of Old and New Delhi railway stations, parking area, bus stand: Rs 5 cr.
Status: Partial work done so far.
• New signages: Rs 10 cr.
Status: Expected by 2010
• Airports: Modernisation by private players.
Status: Expected by 2008
FACELIFT
• 50 sweeping machines, dustbins, fluorescent
overcoat for employees: Rs 25 cr • Streetlights, landscaping, street furniture: Rs 100 cr Status: To be executed early 2010 • Upgrade water supply at stadia and a new water treatment plant at the Games village (to treat a million gallons of water per day): Rs 16.5 cr Status: No action yet. • Upgrade sewerage and a new Sewage Treatment Plant at Games village: Rs 23.5 cr

Status: No progress yet.
WITH ANUBHUTI VISHNOI
(Inputs from Raghavendra Rao)
Chief minister Sheila Dikshit
The experience in Melbourne was excellent. The traffic and transport arrangements were very good. There was lot of security, but nothing was visible and in-your-face.
The roads had signages and didn’t have to look or ask for directions. The volunteers were well-trained.
But one lesson, we learnt from the experience was that there were some lack of toilets in the Games village. We propose to have a toilet for every two athletes, as compared to one for every four in Melbourne.
Delhi UD minister Dr A K Walia
We will meet the target dates. The preparation for Asian Games was done in barely 18 months, we have much more time in hand. We will form a high-powered committee to fast-track projects
Add CP (traffic) MS Upadhyay
At Melbourne, we practically saw no private vehicles in the city. Everybody was using public transport which solves most of the problem. The public transport system is also the best possible there and hence the popularity. We definitely need to work on this aspect

[Chuck]

Another video of the closing ceremony


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...wealth&pl=true

[kronik]

Feels just like Athens 2004 all over again. The Greeks got so much flak from all over the world but in the end did a great job.

The most important point to note, and the media hasnt talked about it till now, is the security preparations. In this world of surveillance gadgets, advanced weaponry and police equipment, I dont know how professional and up-to-date our own police forces are. For all I know, Delhi Police will be the news for demanding their 'haftas' from visiting athletes and officials.

meanwhile....

Stadiums in disrepair, but no one’s worried

New Delhi Games Organising Committee secretary-general Lalit Bhanot says conscious decision not to have infrastructure ready before 2009, want the venues to look in prime condition when the Games begin

The new stadia haven’t been built, the existing ones lie in the same state of disrepair. Yet there’s no sign of alarm at the New Delhi Games Organizing Committee (NDGOC): for them, everything is on schedule, there’s no need to press the panic button.

There isn’t much new construction work; much of the work is in renovating stadia built for the 1982 Asiad. Towards that end, the organizing committee has appointed the Switzerland-based Events Knowledge Services (EKS), whose job will be to carry out a detailed study on designs of infrastructure, taking into consideration the various requirements of the CGF, the IOA and the government, and conforming to international standards.

The CPWD’s blueprint for renovation and upgrade of the existing five SAI stadia is ready. What it needs is just the go-ahead. The estimated expenses towards this would be Rs 1250 crore, minus the furnishing.

Is there enough time? People point to 1982—when everything happened in 20 months—as an example of how quickly things can be done if the right buttons are pressed.

RENOVATION WORK CPWD ESTIMATE: RS 1,250 CRORE

National stadium:

• To be made spectator-friendly, playing turf to be moved closer

• Rear seating gallery to make way for changing rooms, medical rooms, offices

• Three new turfs, with floodlight facilities at two, including main arena

Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Yamuna Velodrome

• Stadium roof to be changed

• AC, lighting, audio-visual systems to be replaced

• New warm-up gym on the Lakeside

• On eastern side, a hostel and multi-media center will be set up.

• Cycling velodrome will be upgraded either with wooden tracks or concrete arena by to be upped 5 inches.

Nehru stadium

• Major upgrade for Games showpiece: from open-close roof (partial) with filament material to constructing a tunnel leading to players’ warm-up area

• New floodlights (with the pillars inside), audio/visual system to electronic scoreboard and partial AC

• All upper tiers will have bucket seats instead of existing concrete arrangement.

• Stadium will be linked with rail-road-metro system (Railway Ministry has been notified about this and it will have to undertake the job at its cost with a station close by).

Talkatora pool

• Existing pool will be renovated completely (with AC possible) and covered

• New pool for synchronised swimming to be constructed.

• But the pools will be used for training purposes only.

Karni singh shooting range

• A new 300-metre range and a Final Scoring System range—the finals of 10, 15 and 25 metres events will be held—will be constructed.

New construction minimum, but OKs still being awaited

The NDGOC says construction of new stadia will involve minimum work; most of the work is renovation. But in most cases, work may not begin before next year. For, the paperwork is not yet complete, in some cases even the blueprint isn’t ready.

Much of the work revolves around the swimming pool complex to be built in Delhi University at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore. Right now, it’s 22 acres of barren land. On this site will come up not one but five swimming pools: an Olympic-size (50 metres) pool, a diving pool, pool for synchronised swimming, one for water polo and a warm-up pool.

At DU, an initiative group—led by vice-chancellor Dr Deepak Pental, pro-VC Prof D.K. Tandon, Registrar Dr A.K. Dubey, Finance officer Roy Mathrani, DU engineer G.S. Gupta—is on the job with support coming from Sports Council chairman Abhay Mauriya, Naruka and Sudarshan Pathak.

DU is eyeing the spin-offs from the project. “We are also thinking of a 12,000-16,000 capacity indoor AC stadium, a gymnasium (UGC has already allotted a grant not under the Games plan) and an eight-lane synthetic track for athletics with another warm-up track (possible),”, says Naruka.

The other construction work is an indoor hall for boxing at the Tyagraja Sports Complex and a TT Hall at the Yamuna Sports Complex; each will seat 5-7,000 people. The paperwork is ready but approval and money sanction is awaited.

What a pusillanimous mentality. Our athletes will continue to prepare in sub-standard stadia because the organizers dont want them to wear them out. Again points to the work culture of most government organizations: build something that looks great, and let it rot.

[Curry4Ever]

This is a great opportunity for India to improve its Infrastructure and hopefully the people of India especially the one's that deserve to can improve their lot. There is a lot that India can learn from the Melbourne Games especially in the areas of Transport and Telecom. Obviously it will be a lot more colorful and cultural which is brilliant but for a big city like Delhi, holding the games without affecting the day to day lives of Indians living in Delhi will be a challenge. It will also be a good stepping stone for India to hold the Olympics.
The ability for India to do this will ensure that there's a great improvement to the Indian economy. It is time India took that step forward and becomes not just a big nation but a big, reliable, prosperous nation that is a role model for the rest of the world.

[cptracker]

http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detai...10949&secid=18

Delhi grapples with C'wealth Games

M.C. Vaijayanthi

Aishwarya Rai and her colleagues from Bollywood gave a taste of what kind of spectacle India would put up as hosts of the Commonwealth Games 2010, at Melbourne Games closing ceremony last week, overshadowing the 22 Gold medal haul by the Indian contingent and Samaresh Jung who won the best athlete award. Having hosted the Sydney 2000 Olympics and now the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, Australia knows better than us as to what is in store in terms of business opportunities. An Australian newspaper reported on March 31 quoting Australia's senior trade commissioner for South Asia, Mike Moignard, that New Delhi 2010 represented a $1 billion business opportunity, particularly for construction and consulting companies.
"Of that figure, $800 million would be accounted for by providing sports venues and facilities, and Australian design and project management consultants would have significant opportunities in the short term. The $1 billion worth of projects would be tendered this year, with contracts likely to be signed by December," Moignard said.
Anyone and everyone connected with the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi have been away at Melbourne and in all likelihood Indian planners would have to work overtime now to get the projects started to be in place in just four years or else we might face the fate Athens did hosting Olympics 2004. Except for the visible Metro Rail which is being expanded with CG in mind, there aren't many ongoing projects to attract attention leave alone investment. Delhi has lost out on funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission this year for major transport projects like high capacity bus system and monorail since it failed to put forward concrete proposals for the projects. It has not even taken the first mandatory step of appointing the mandatory consultants.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that her government had identified 50 projects costing up to $298 million to develop the city on par with standards set worldwide. Delhi has planned a 225-km super ring road this time, after having developed a ring road during Asiad in 1984. Over 25 new flyovers and road over bridges are expected to come up next year; 27 new hotels are coming up in Delhi of which 20 are in Gurgaon comprising 4,900 rooms as against the planned 10,000 additional rooms for 2010.
All this may be a great business opportunity, a time to rejoice the creation of enormous business opportunity, but there are analysts who warn of the flip side to this kind of expensive growth plans. Urban Planner Dunu Roy says that by 2010 Delhi would be too expensive to live even for the middle class. He also points out that several of the cities which hosted these mega games were under debt burden for periods ranging from eight to 30 years. "It took 20 years for them to put the Asiad Village to reuse and even when they finally sold it, the buyers were all NRIs. Similarly, the five hotels that came up during Asiad had to wait for years before they could see return on investments."
Consultants to these games say, "Countries opt for such international events not merely to display sporting ability but to transform their existing infrastructure facilities." But some others say, "The financial gains of modern games are notoriously hard to predict and hard to calculate after the fact that former Olympics host city Montreal will make the last payment on its $6.2 billion deficit after nearly 30 years while Los Angeles claimed to have made a $200 million profit eight years after its Olympics."
As of today, Delhi can take comfort in the fact that India is a roaring economy raring to touch the magic GDP figure of 10 per cent and that any infrastructure development happening need not lie waste after CG but would be a lasting urban legacy. Cambridge Consulting said the Manchester UK 2002 CG secured more than $1.7 billion of public and private investment for Manchster and due to the enhanced profile of the city, an extra 300,000 visitors would spend an additional $33.5 million every year in the region. But most of the sports infrastructure created for the games become too expensive to maintain post-games and in Delhi also it is doubtful whether it would be used later to nurture sports talent as India dreams of hosting Olympics in 2016.
The unfortunate part of this kind of large scale urban development is the equally large scale displacement of a majority of city slum dwellers who would be moved out to create a neat city. Asiad employed around 10 lakh construction workers and today Delhi has no place to accommodate such large scale labour population. Last time they settled on the Yamuna bank and around 70,000 of the Yamuna encroachers were removed as offenders polluting the river. Today, the new Rs 180 crore Olympic Village will come up on the banks of Yamuna river and one expert has even talked of narrowing down the flow of the river which would allow for development of the riverbed land. Planners have failed to present a complete a vision of what Delhi would be like post-2010 CG and therefore it becomes very difficult putting together a city which might be concretised end-to-end by the times the games are over.

[03 April 2006]

[astObs]

From the website ( http://www.cwgdelhi2010.com/story/2006/3/16/234641/815 ), it seems like majority of the events are planned for Nehru Stadium.

Here's a satellite image: http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=toronto...055314,0.10849
Golflinks in the middle, Nehru Stadium on the south, and National Stadium on the north.

Btw, does anyone know what event Nehru Stadium, and the apartments next to it, Pragati Vihar, were built for? I lived their from age 0-12. Lot's of great memories from there and Nehru stadium.

[ramkan]

Bollywood wealth, nothing common about it. I saw on TV, where Aishwarya talks about nation, country and patriotism the reason for her presence..

Indian government spent Rs. 40 crores on Bollywood stars for an eleven-minute performance!

It was shocking that the Indian government spent Rs. 40 crores on the Bollywood stars for an eleven-minute show at the recently concluded Commonwealth games in Melbourne. If the government had spent even a fraction of that amount on the athletes who participated in the event then we would have had some more medals in our Kitty. It is really shameful that the government gives step motherly treatment to the sports and sportsmen and spends crores on Bollywood actors that has no connection with sports world at all.



I have seen our national hockey players bathing in a railway yard and being stashed in a second-class railway compartment when they were traveling for a hockey tournament. The sportspersons participating in Olympics and Common wealth games are paid peanuts and the sport facilities are pathetic. Even the medal winners at the Commonwealth games will not receive even one percent of what Bollywood stars like Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutt got (one crore each) for simply waving to the crowds. And the so-called face of Indian cinema Aishwarya Rai’s fake patriotism was exposed when she boasted of performing at the ceremony just for patriotic reasons. And what was the cost of this patriotism – a cool Rs.3 Crore. Bollywood actors do not even represent India but the sportspersons do and they are the ones who are more eligible for receiving large amount and not some dumb actresses like Aishwarya Rai, whose only qualification is her good face. Now there is every reason to believe that Aishwarya Rai might also be charging hefty fees for indulging in other social causes.



Can’t our Bollywood stars perform free of charge for India even for eleven minutes? The government would have definitely spent on their stay and travel expenses and it was not even the case where the Bollywood stars had to incur a loss by rejecting a movie offer for performing at the event. The Government should get their priorities right and instead of wasting money on Bollywood stars they should spend money on improving the sports infrastructure, the training facilities for sportspersons and increasing their fees.



The organizer of the event, Mr. Viraf Sarkar of Wizcraft says that Bollywood stars were showcasing our country. He should know that Bollywood is not India. And if he wanted to showcase our country then he should have had people from different fields and not just from Bollywood. And if the government is thinking that they can attract spectators by displaying Bollywood actors in the ceremony then they are seriously undermining the sports lovers in India. A sport lover would always go for Commonwealth games whether Bollywood endorses it or not. There is nothing wrong if Bollywood actors are used for publicity but there could be no justification for spending 40 crores on them when the sportspersons are being poorly paid and leading a pathetic life.


Such poor sports administration has been the bane for our sports culture for decades. I hope that the Indian government and the sports minister look into the matter and ensure that this kind of money wastage does not recur. It is high time that the politicians and officials are thrown out from sports bodies and are replaced by retired, outstanding sportspersons and able administrators who know something about sports. Why have politicians like Suresh Kalmadi at the helm when he has done nothing good for the sports all these years?

Finally, Bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai, Rani Mukherjee, Saif Ali Khan, etc should stop talking about patriotism and their love for India when all they do is sell their soul and patriotism for money. They are nothing but mercenaries and the sports administrators are nothing but idiots.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by ramkan

Bollywood wealth, nothing common about it. I saw on TV, where Aishwarya talks about nation, country and patriotism the reason for her presence..

Isn't this still in the allegation stage? I thought that JD(S) leader and Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Shoaib Iqbal has made these allegations.

[Bombay Boy]

the stars are within their rights to charge. the government has to decide whether it wants to pay for it or not. stupid article, abusing the stars for no fault of theirs

[kronik]

Originally Posted by Bombay Boy

the stars are within their rights to charge. the government has to decide whether it wants to pay for it or not. stupid article, abusing the stars for no fault of theirs

Absolutely. Its up to the Sports authorities and Sports Ministry to decide what they want to do, and if they want to use the star power to put up a show, then its their choice.

Using star power is fine, but what I dont like is the excessive use of Bollywoodesque music. It happened in Davos and it happened in Melbourne.

India is a universe of great classical, folk music, and for some unfortunate reason, they have been eclipsed by crass Bollywood music. I only wish we would we would use more of our traditional folk singers and music from all parts of the country, but of course, that requires more work and dedication.

Personally, I didnt really like the theme song for CWG2010 too. Very, very bollywoodesque (and not hummable)

[Bombay Boy]

they probably used bollywood as its managed to get a brand name for itself and now sells. if its a bollywood tune you can be pretty sure its ripped off anyways

[Luckystreak]

And we are talking of hosting Olympics

India must not host Commonwealth Games

Sharad Yadav, the newly-elected president of the Janata Dal United, has asked the Union Government to scrap its plans to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and utilize that money for better purposes instead.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Yadav said participation in the Games is wasteful expenditure and a country like India can ill-afford to spend such a huge amount of money for a few medals.

"I understand that the Indian Olympic Committee, headed by Suresh Kalmadi, spent Rs 23 crore on an eleven-minute song and drama sequence, in which several film actors took part, at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. This money was total waste and I believe should have been used for the welfare of the students from backward class communities instead," he said.

He wondered why a country like India should spend so much on bidding to host the Games.

"What is the big deal in hosting games like the Commonwealth Games in India? What do we gain, barring a few medals and some IOA officials having a good time? I believe that the huge amount of money that would be spent on hosting the Games could have been used for giving grants to Delhi University and other academic institutions of excellence. We could have created more IITs and IIMs with that fund," he added.

He promised to step up his campaign against the Games in weeks to come, which would mean giving sleepless nights to Suresh Kalmadi and his comrades in the IOA.

[IndiansUnite]

Sharad Yadav,lol that guy has no right to comment now;Its too late! And speaking of what he said,I feel If we could successfully host the Asian Games back in 1982,why cant we utilize money for hosting the Commonwealth games? + we also have stadiums that JUST need upgradation and a small games village to come up.

<<<<and I believe should have been used for the welfare of the students from backward class communities instead," he said.>>>>>

Lol,The students from the backword class can excel on their own and they shouldnt have that complex feeling of being backward.If there is a will,there's a way.If they want to excel in education ,then they have to get rid of them being backward and start to study for having a bright future ahead.

Damn Sharad Yadav!

[pding]

what a fucking retard?????

but he says we could have given grants to educational institutions.

there is one trend: these politicians are no more just saying we could use this money to give subsidy to farmers, free electricity to drought victims, etc etc.

i think in a way this is positive and in a way it's kinda out-dated and backward thinking.

[kronik]

yup, New Delhi always leads from the front.

'Games work progress too slow'

An athletes' village, refurbished stadia, road projects, flyovers, improved traffic management, more budget hotels for tourists, new and better modes of transport - the 'to-do' list for Commonwealth Games 2010 seems endless.

Even the cricket World Cup has been added to the country's kitty but there has been no concrete headway in terms of development of such projects.

Sample this: There has been no meeting of the Commonwealth Games organising committee for the last four months.
And this is after the Commonwealth Games Federation gave clear indications of its dissatisfaction with Delhi's preparation last year. Despite numerous foreign trips, the bureaucrats and netas have made no progress in translating words into action.

When asked about the progress of development projects required to host the 2010 Games, Delhi urban development and Public Works Department (PWD) minister A K Walia minced no words in criticising the pace of work.

"We have to increase the speed of work. There are several infrastructure projects that are planned but we have not made any progress on them.

There were official foreign trips made but we have not started doing anything. We have not even had a meeting of the organising committee to firm up an action plan,"he said.

In 2003, India had pitched for hosting the 2010 Games with a plan. The biggest feature was an athletes village. As soon as India bagged the games, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) announced mega plans of announcing a design competition for the village and even put up boards near Akshardham temple to declare the land as the village venue.

Over two years down the line and boards is all you see for the 2010 Games village. Walia said: "DDA is not even clear on how it will implement the project.

They have made numerous trips to Melbourne to see their preparations but there is no concrete plan yet. DDA has not even acquired land meant for the village.

A small portion of land is with Uttar Pradesh irrigation department but DDA has been unable to reach a decision on the land rates yet. This stalemate is as old as two years.

The minister added: "There is a need to assign tasks. Specific officials should be given responsibility of certain projects.

These officials should not be transferred till the projects are completed. We need to take such policy decisions but nothing is happening on this front. This is a matter of honour for our country. We need to act with some
responsibility.

------------------------------------------------------

Multiplicity of authorities hampering Commonwealth preparation

Delhi government today blamed 'multiplicity of authorities' in the capital for the slow pace of preparations for the Commomwealth Games 2010 and said better coordination was needed among the different agencies.

"The pace of work for Commonwealth Games needs to be speeded up because not much time is left for the event," Delhi Urban Development Minister A K Walia told reporters here.

On the reasons for the slow pace of work, he said, "problems are being faced because of the multiplicity of authorities in Delhi. Better coordination is needed among the different agencies." He said the different authorities like DDA, PWD, MCD, NDMC and Delhi Jal Board should meet more often so that there can be better coordination and work can be undertaken on a war footing.

what a joke. netas have made New Delhi less of a national capital and more like the central headquarters for the most corrupt and worthless.

[kronik]

this is slightly dated news....

DU plans a host of facilities for 2010 Commonweath Games

Selected as the venue for Aquatics and Rugby events for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi University plans to set up an advanced Aquatics complex and a coaching centre to groom the budding talents for the mega event.

The complex will have four pools -- swimming pool, synchronised swimming pool, warm-up pool and diving pool, each equipped with a filtration plant and heating system. The diving pool will have lift for diving tower.

DU has earmaked 20 acres of land for pools, which has been approved by the Organising Committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The acquatic compex will also house fitness centres, medical centres, dope sample collection centres and store rooms. Similarly for Rugby, the university has planned for renovation of the existing pavilion building for providing required facilities.

In its bid to groom its students to perform well in the Games, DU has proposed to Sports Authority of India to start a coaching centre on the campus.

[Effer]

Somewhat related to the games...

India 2010 Commonwealth Venue Could Lead To Future Winter Games Bid

Development of a $300 million ski resort in India’s Himachal Pradesh region for the 2010 Commonwealth Games could reportedly lead to India bidding for a future Winter Olympic Games.

The Himalayan Ski Village resort should be up and running by the winter of 2008-9. As well as being a world-class ski resort it will promote ecologically sustainable practices and organic farming.

According to reports the resort will cover 100 hectares and offer top-end hotel and condominium accommodations as well as shops, restaurants and a luxurious spa. There will also be a 2,000-capacity convention centre, a handicrafts market to showcase the work of local artisans, and a theatre complex.

http://www.gamesbids.com/cgi-bin/new...&id=1146669061

[Cov Boy]

Hello im new here. Been looking at the India forum for over a year now and its great! I visited Delhi many years ago and I am impressed with the change from the various Delhi threads. Just a quick one about the Commonwealth Games in 2010. I cant wait for it! It will be good for India & the economy as well as bringing international prestige to India. Please give India and Delhi a chance to host these games. Its still 4 years away and I know lots need to be done by then.

Oh I watched the closing ceremony here in the UK esp. India's presentation and was blown away by it!