Fennell: C’wealth Games on track
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Contrary to reports carried in the media worldwide, things are in great shape for this October’s staging of the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.
Jamaica’s Mike Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, sought to allay fears that the venues would not be ready for the start of the event on October 3 at a cocktail reception held in Montego Bay on Monday night.
“Things are in good shape; there are some problems, but they won’t hinder the completion of the main stadium and the swimming centre,” Fennell told the audience which included Indian High Commissioner Mohinder Grover.
Fennell, who led the Commonwealth Games delegation on the torch run which stopped in Montego Bay on Monday, said, “We had hoped all the venues would be ready ahead of time so we could test them, but they will be completed ahead of the start of the Games.”
He said the main concerns were the main stadium that will host the opening ceremony and the track and field competition, as well as the swimming venue, but he believes they should be completed soon.
Fennell, who was in India as recently as a week ago, said at a meeting of the 71 heads of delegations in India, they were given the assurance that the event, dubbed ‘The Friendly Games’, would “exceed all expectations”.
Fennell pointed to the already completed hockey and netball facilities — the former having hosted the recent World Championships — as “one of the finest anywhere in the world”, while promising that the netball stadium will impress all who attend the Games.
Security, he said, was a major concern, not just for the Games, but an ongoing one for the Indian government, which was “taking every precaution, Games or no Games to ensure the safety of their citizens”.
Fennell said the perceived setbacks in the planning, especially in operations and management, were no different from those of other major sporting events anywhere in the world.
“India has spared no resources for the Games and everything will be first class,” Fennell promised.
India were awarded the Games in 2003 when the bidding process was held at Half Moon Hotel, edging Canada in the final round of voting.