Sep. 30:
- Facilities for Games put Delhi a decade ahead, says Kalmadi (Lead)
- Relieved Saurabh Vij to use Delhi meet as Asian Games preparations
- Indian Cyclists clueless about their event
- President Patil should declare Games open: Malhotra
- Ponting promises competitive series against India
- IOC chief Rogge to attend Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
- Vuvuzelas selling like hot cakes (Games Sidelights)
- Not retiring soon, says Ponting
- Top Indian sports persons check into Village
- I asked teams to choose either hotels or Village: Kalmadi (Second Lead)
- Builder and contractor responsible for Village mess: Kalmadi (Lead)
- Bindra to carry Queen's Baton at CWG opening ceremony .
- 1,250 more check into Games Village
- Queens' Baton reaches Delhi, athletes focus on training
- Demand to sack coach Sandeep shocks hockey circles
- 52-member Australian swimming team arrive for Commonwealth Games
- Expect a great show from Pakistan, says hockey captain
- After the Village, paeans for stadiums from athletes, officials (Night Lead)
- Indian cricket team gets new ODI kit
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Facilities for Games put Delhi a decade ahead, says Kalmadi (Lead)
New Delhi, Sep 30: Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi with a triumphant look announced that world-class infrastructure and fantastic facilities built for the Oct 3-14 event have put Delhi a decade ahead as the Queen's Baton Relay reached the host city.
The Games festivities will kick off Friday with schools in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) commencing 17-day vacation as part of the steps for smoother traffic movement and will also encourage sports-loving students to watch the Games.
Pakistan teams, which arrived late Wednesday, spoke of good showing at the Games as top Indian athletes also checked into the Games Village.
The entire Australian swimming team of 52, which had stayed in Malaysia because of security concerns, also moved into the Village.
A 1,000 more athletes and officials arrived at the Village Thursday, taking the total number at the complex to around 5,500.
With events in many of the Games' 17 disciplines scheduled to start several days after the opening Oct 3, organisers announced Thursday that those taking part in those events can continue to come till Oct 8.
India's first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra will have the honour of the carrying the Queen's Baton to the Games opening ceremony at the Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium.
The Beijing Olympic gold medal winner and Bronze medallist Vijender were among the top Indian athletes who have moved into the Village, chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent Bhubneshwar Kalita said here Thursday.
Shooter Samresh Jung, the best athlete of the 2006 Melbourne Games, boxer Akhil Kumar, squash star Joshna Chinnappa and ace archers Dola Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar had also checked into the Village, taking the number of Indian athletes residing there to over 460, Kalita said.
The Pakistani hockey team officials were confident of good showing at the Games, though it had a dismal run in the hockey World Cup in Feb-March here, finishing last spot (12th place).
"Commonwealth Games are a good platform for us to revive our game. We would surely learn many things that could also help us in the Asian Games. Playing against European teams will certainly improve our technique and speed," Ahmed Alam, former Pakistan captain and the present assistant coach of the team, told IANS.
On the Games being held in India, Khawaja Muhammad Junaid, former Olympian and manager of Pakistan hockey team said "it is a matter of pride that an Asian country is hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time and they had no apprehension about India's capability to organise it."
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Relieved Saurabh Vij to use Delhi meet as Asian Games preparations
By Abhishek Roy
New Delhi, Sep 30: Shot putter Saurabh Vij is relieved after being retained in the Commonwealth Games squad following the National Anti Doping Association's (NADA) decision to lift his provisional suspension. But the ordeal has caused him a lot of mental agony and now he wants to make the best of the opportunity to prepare for the Asian Games.
A day after he was included in the side, Vij was elated but far from hopeful about his medal prospects in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
"The last 30 days have been the worst phase of my life. I never ever thought that I would have to undergo such mental agony for no fault of mine," Saurabh told IANS Thursday.
Saurabh, who tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexanamine, was earlier provisionally suspended by NADA. But the suspension was lifted by NADA's disciplinary panel after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked NADA to take a lenient view as methylhexanamine has been shifted from 'non-specified' to 'specified' substances category in its 2011 list of prohibited substances.
"The WADA decision shows there was something wrong right from the start. How can so many athletes in the country test positive for the same banned substance? The athletes were completely innocent and I am lucky to be a part of the Commonwealth side," he said.
Saurabh threw the shot put to 20.65 metres in the Delhi State Athletics Meet in July, and it is the season's second best throw among the Commonwealth Games athletes. Canadian Dylan Armstrong with a throw of 21.58 metres has the best throw.
Jamaican Dorian Scott (20.55m) and Australian Scott Martin (20.10m) are third and fourth while another Indian Om Prakash is fifth with his season's best of 19.99m.
Despite having one of the best throws of the season, Saurabh was not hopeful of finishing on the podium.
"Suspension was the last thing I was expecting in the run-up to the Games. I didn't practise for the first 15 days and even when I started practising my mind was preoccupied. I just couldn't concentrate. I will surely try to win a medal, but it will be a tough competition," he said.
Saurabh, however, said he would use the opportunity to prepare for the Asian Games in China in November.
"I have to make the best of this opportunity. We will have the Asian Games in November and that is one meet where Indian athletes have a lot of medal hopes. My aim will be a gold medal at the Asian Games," he said.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Director M.L. Dogra was also happy with the inclusion of Saurabh in the athletics squad.
"The boy has undergone lot of mental agony. I hope he comes up with a great showing," he said.
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Indian Cyclists clueless about their event
New Delhi, Sep 30: The cycling event of the Commonwealth Games is only four days away and yet the Indian riders are unaware in which category they will compete.
The cyclists said they are practising for more than one event since the coaching staff have not informed them about the event in which they will compete in the Oct 3-14 Games.
Sandeep Kumar said he has been training for two events -- 40 km time trial and mass start -- and it is difficult to focus on the two simultaneously.
"The cycles are different for the two events and you are training on one cycle in the morning and on the other in the evening. The adjustment is not easy. But I am hopeful of a good showing in the Games," Kumar told IANS.
Another cyclist Bikram Singh said he knows the event in which he will compete, though he has no official intimation.
"I am taking part in the one km time trial race. I have trained hard for the event. I know about my event but others don't. They said they will let us know in a day or two," said Singh, a rare medal winner for India in the sport. He was a bronze medallist at the 2010 Asian Cup in Japan.
Head coach Chayan Chowdhury, however, said the riders have been training hard for the mega event and they are aware in which event they will be racing.
"The riders know about their categories. It will be made official in a day or two," Chowdhury said.
The trimmed 24-member cycling squad arrived in the Games Village Tuesday only a couple of weeks after getting their hands on imported bikes that came after a year's wait.
And that is not all. The team is yet to get their competition kit, promised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) when they arrived at the Village. The kit comprises basic gear used in cycling like the one piece suit, helmet and shoes.
"The coach told us till the time they do not get the new kit, they can use their own equipment. My argument is that thousands of crores have been spent on the Games and our boys can't get even the most basic equipment," said a Cycling Federation of India (CFI) official.
The cycling event, featuring 14 track and two road events, will take place at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and Noida Expressway from Oct 5-13.
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President Patil should declare Games open: Malhotra
New Delhi, Sep 30: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra Thursday demanded that President Pratibha Patil should declare the Commonwealth Games open Oct 3.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Malhotra, who is also vice president of the Indian Olympic Association, said the president has the supreme position in the protocol to be observed in any function in the country according to the Constitution.
"I have come to know that in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Prince Charles will declare the Games open after reading the Queen's message. After that the president of India will address and conclude by saying 'let the Games begin'. If this procedure is followed then Prince Charles will have the precedent in protocol over the president of India," Malhotra said.
The BJP leader, also the president of the General Association of National Sports Federations (GANSF), said he raised the issue in the executive board of the organising committee and "I was told that the government is looking into the matter".
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Ponting promises competitive series against India
Mohali (Punjab), Sep 30: Australian cricket team captain Ricky Ponting said Thursday that his side was looking forward to a competitive series, particularly in the two-Test series, against India starting at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here Friday.
Ponting told reporters here on the eve of the first Test that with only two Tests in this series, his team could not afford any slip-up.
"We are confident that we will get a good start here. We want to make sure that we get our plans right. We love to come here and win," Ponting said.
The first Test gets underway amidst unprecedented security arrangements for both teams and around the PCA Stadium. Nearly 1,000 armed policemen will guard the stadium and the players.
The Australian captain said his team had got good practice in the warm-up game against the Board President's XI in Chandigarh this week.
He said that Australia were ready to meet the challenge of the top-ranked Test team, India.
He added that it was his responsibility to ensure that Australia retained their position as the top-ranked Test team in the cricket world.
Ponting said he was satisfied that Australia and India were playing more cricket than in the past.
"This is a great thing for the game and great for both countries," he added
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IOC chief Rogge to attend Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
New Delhi, Sep 30: International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge will be the special invitee at the opening ceremony of the Delhi Commonwealth Games here Sunday, a top Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official said.
Rogge will arrive in Delhi Friday and leave the capital Monday, IOA secretary general Randhir Singh told IANS Thursday.
During his stay, Rogge is scheduled to meet delegates of some of the Commonwealth Games Associations and he will also visit the venues and the Games Village.
"It's a great honour for us that he has accepted our invitation," said Randhir.
The Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games will see athletes from 71 nations and territories fighting it out for supremacy in 17 disciplines spread across 11 venues.
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Vuvuzelas selling like hot cakes (Games Sidelights)
New Delhi, Sep 30: Hate them or love them, you just can't ignore them! Vuvuzelas, after taking the FIFA World Cup by storm, are selling like hot cakes at the Games Village here.
Priced at Rs.250, the bright yellow bugles adorn the shelves of souvenir shops in the international zone of the Games Village. Stickers of Shera the mascot, the CWG logo and safety instructions are pasted on them.
Even Sports Minister M.S. Gill could not resist the vuvuzela's charm and started blowing one at a shop as photographers merrily clicked away.
One of the most enthusiastic proponents must be South African High Commissioner Harris Mbulelo Sithembile Majeke who was seen brandishing one when he visited the village recently.
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Smokin' out mosquitoes at Games Village
Mosquitoes may be on the prowl in Delhi, but they are certainly not about to win the battle at the Games Village, thanks to intense fogging.
"Fogging and fumigation is done at least once a day in view of the rising dengue threat in Delhi. MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) people come and spray insecticides, pesticides and medicines at every nook and corner of the Village every day," a volunteer told IANS.
"No one really minds the pungent smoke if it is for your benefit," the volunteer added.
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Talking DTCs!
Delhiites may have got used to automated announcements in the Delhi Metro, but it's sure taking them by surprise on state-run Delhi Transport Corporation's (DTC) new low-floor buses.
An elderly man got a shock when he heard a husky accented female voice greeting him in English, just like in the Metro, as he boarded a DTC bus.
"Ab DTC bhi bolne lag gayi ke (now even DTCs started talking)?" asked the man leaving the other passengers in splits.
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Not from Delhi, but driving DTC
Thanks to the Commonwealth Games and the need to provide sleek buses, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has been busy recruiting hundreds of drivers and conductors.
And many have been pushed on the roads of Delhi without adequate exposure to the city's topography. The victims are commuters who now have to grapple with drivers and conductors from outside the capital, lacking minimum knowledge about Delhi.
The good news is there are plenty of new buses to ride!
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Whitewashing CP
Only three days to go for the Commonwealth Games and Connaught Place in central Delhi is still undergoing a facelift - only this time the effort is to camouflage the remaining areas with a whitewash.
Work is on by the hour in the Inner Circle to create a painted veil even as distorted arches, broken spaces and missing brick pieces in pillars stay the way they are. After all, tourists are expected to make a beeline for CP.
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No qualms in seeking alms
The capital's beggars and destitute are being relocated, hidden or just locked away in the run up to the Games. But many of them are not about to let the event hamper their daily income, especially in Connaught Place.
The number of people begging in the CP area has supposedly increased in the past week.
"What can we do? So many times we have shooed them away from here but they always come bac"," a policeman on duty in CP said.
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Not retiring soon, says Ponting
Mohali (Punjab), Sep 30: Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting Thursday said he is not retiring from international cricket soon.
"The finish line is not in sight yet," Ponting, 35, told reporters here with a smile when asked whether he was going to hang up his boots shortly.
The skipper said he may even be back in India for another tour of his team.
Ponting said he would analyse his performance in the India-Australia series and later in the Ashes series against England to decide about his future.
He said batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who is 37 years old, was a "good inspiration" as he (Tendulkar) is getting better by the day.
"I am more focused on my preparations and fitness. I know that I need to give myself the best chance of playing well. That's all I can control and then I get out into the middle and it's about making big runs," he added
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Top Indian sports persons check into Village
New Delhi, Sep 30: Beijing Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and bronze medallist Vijender are among 464 Indian athletes who have checked into the Commonwealth Games Village, chef-de-mission Bhubneshwar Kalita said here Thursday.
Shooter Samresh Jung, the best athlete of the 2006 Melbourne Games, boxer Akhil Kumar, squash star Joshna Chinnappa and ace archers Dola Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar were among those to check into the Village.
Kalita said the athlete felt the arrangements at the Village are the best and their stay comfortable.
"Indian contingent has 640 beds in three towers. Each room is twin sharing and the rooms are airconditioned with attached bathrooms, washing machines and refrigerators."
Kalita said they have extended the arrival date of athletes till Oct 8.
"Depending upon the schedules of different disciplines, we have extended the entry date of sportspersons till Oct 8."
"There is a huge dining hall where Indian cuisine, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, is served. There is a poly-clinic, with expert medical staff, and no case of any major disease has been reported there," he said.
The Village is spread over an area of 63.5 hectares and has a total of 34 residential towers. It has 1,168 apartments with 4,008 bedrooms.
Kalita hoped India would do far better than they did at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
"During the last Commonwealth Games, India was fourth in the standing, but this time we want to get to the second spot. In any case, I am certain that we will not go below the third position."
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I asked teams to choose either hotels or Village: Kalmadi (Second Lead)
New Delhi, Sep 30: Amidst all the brouhaha over participating nations opting to stay in five star hotels rather than the Games Village because of it not being ready and portions of it were unclean, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi Thursday revealed that it was he who gave them the option.
"All the 71 countries have come. I gave them a choice, 'whether you want to stay in hotels or in the Village?' but every team said, 'we want to stay in the Village'," said Kalmadi.
Sporting a confident and relieved attitude, Kalamdi, who was welcoming the arrival of the Queen's Baton Relay, also urged Delhiites to "come out and play".
"You have to be a part of it. You have to participate, come out and play. It is everybody's game. We are going to have a great opening ceremony. If you can't get the tickets, please watch in on TV," he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit paised Kalmadi and said he deserves a pat on the back for the completion of all preparations for the Commonwealth Games (Oct 3-14).
"Our dear friend Suresh Kalmadi needs a big bump and pat on the back," Dikshit said, while enacting the gesture over the visibly happy chairman's back.
"I am on top of the world. Everything is fine, ready and everything is complete," she added during the arrival of the Queen's Baton Relay in the capital Thursday.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna said Delhiites should treat the visitors with two things in mind - the world is one and guest is god.
"When we are asked what does the Commonwealth Games mean to us (Delhiities), I'd say it is 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and 'Atithi Devo Bhava'. Clearly 'the whole world is one' and 'guest is god' - this is what the Games mean to us," Khanna said.
"All participating nations have given us a thumbs up saying that we have given them global level facilities. And now we should make sure that when they go back they should take with them Indian memories of warmth, openness and affection," he added during the same programme.
Kalmadi also laid the blame squarely on the builder and the contractor for the shoddy work at the Games Village, which has come under heavy criticism from some of the participating countries.
Several participating countries had labelled the Village for being filthy and unlivable.
Kalmadi said that there was conflict between nodal agency Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that gave the contract to Emaar-MGF to build the Games Village and the builder.
"Due to the conflict, work was delayed for three months and that was the main problem. We got the Village only a month back and we needed some time to get things in place. But now the Games Village looks beautiful and I can tell you it is the best Commonwealth Games Village," he said.
Kalmadi, however, was happy with the last minute work carried out at the Games Village and said that the foreign athletes and officials are now happy.
"Village is one of the finest place. We have given an option to all teams to first go to hotel and then they can shift to the village after inspecting the conditions there. Right now not even a single country is staying in hotel," said Kalmadi.
"International players and team officials are very satisfied with the Village's facilities. All 71 countries are participating in the games and not even a single country has kept itself out of the games. Each delegation is saying that they are liking this place very much and they have no problems. I am sure that nobody has seen such games village before," he said.
Kalmadi said that he was also ready for any kind of probe regarding the alleged disproportionate use of funds.
"The photo that media is showing is over-month old and you cannot conclude anything on the basis of it. I am ready for any kind of inquiry; in fact I personally want that an inquiry must be conducted into all allegations," said Kalmadi.
"We should also focus up on good aspects of these games. Our city (New Delhi) has gone ahead by nearly 10-years. See the airport, metro is running from airport to the games villages and to other venues. Now we only want Indian players to do well and to win maximum medals in the games," he added.
He also thanked Prime Minister for giving a grant of Rs. 1600 crore for the training of athletes.
"This has happened for the first time. Money has been spent on the training of athletes, accommodation and on providing them world-class facilities," said Kalmadi.
The Games Village is spread over an area of 63.5 hectares and has a total of 34 residential towers. It has 1,168 apartments comprising 4,008 bedrooms which will house the athletes and team officials
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Builder and contractor responsible for Village mess: Kalmadi (Lead)
New Delhi, Sep 30: Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CGOC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi Thursday laid the blame squarely on the builder and the contractor for the shoddy work at the Games Village, which has come under heavy criticism from some of the participating countries.
Several participating countries had labelled the Village as being filthy and unlivable.
Kalmadi said that there was conflict between nodal agency Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that gave the contract to Emaar-MGF to build the Games Village and the builder.
"Due to the conflict, work was delayed for three months and that was the main problem. We got the Village only a month back and we needed some time to get things in place. But now the Games Village looks beautiful and I can tell you it is the best Commonwealth Games Village," he said.
Kalmadi, however, was happy with the last minute work carried out at the Games Village and said that the foreign athletes and officials are now happy.
"The Village is one of the finest places. We have given an option to all teams to first go to a hotel and then they can shift to the Village after inspecting the conditions there. Right now, not even a single country is staying in a hotel," said Kalmadi.
"International players and team officials are very satisfied with the Village's facilities. All 71 countries are participating in the Games and not even a single country has kept itself out of them. Each delegation is saying that they are liking this place very much and they have no problems. I am sure that nobody has seen such a Games Village before," he said.
Kalmadi said that he was also ready for any kind of probe regarding alleged misuse of funds.
"The photo that media is showing is over a month old and you cannot conclude anything on the basis of it. I am ready for any kind of inquiry; in fact, I personally want that an inquiry must be conducted into all allegations," said Kalmadi.
"We should also focus on good aspects of these games. Our city (New Delhi) has gone ahead by nearly 10 years. See the airport, Metro is running from airport to the Games Village and to other venues. Now we only want Indian players to do well and to win maximum medals in the Games," he added.
He also thanked the Prime Minister for giving a grant of Rs.1,600 crore for the training of athletes.
"This has happened for the first time. Money has been spent on the training of athletes, accommodation and on providing them world-class facilities," said Kalmadi.
The Games Village is spread over an area of 63.5 hectares and has a total of 34 residential towers. It has 1,168 apartments comprising 4,008 bedrooms which will house the athletes and team officials.
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Bindra to carry Queen's Baton at CWG opening ceremony
New Delhi, Sep 30: Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, will carry the Queen's Baton to the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here Oct 3.
"The baton has come to Delhi and the games are going to begin with its arrival. The baton will be brought to the opening ceremony by Abhinav Bindra," said organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi after welcoming the Baton relay.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and several of her cabinet colleagues were present at the ceremony. The Baton relay reached the capital from neighbouring Haryana.
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1,250 more check into Games Village
New Delhi, Sep 30: A huge contingent of around 1,250 athletes and officials checked into the Commonwealth Games Village Thursday, taking the total number of its residents to well over 5,500.
The latest arrivals included 124 from England inclusive of participants in swimming and other disciplines.
The Papua New Guinea was the second largest delegation with 119 athletes, followed by New Zealand with 94.
Among the other large teams were Australia (87), Canada (79), Mauritius (75), Bangladesh (59), Wales (42) and Malaysia (39).
The sprawling Village will be home to some 7,000 athletes and officials taking part in the Commonwealth Games starting here Sunday. The events ends Oct 14.
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Queens' Baton reaches Delhi, athletes focus on training
New Delhi, Sep 30: The Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games reached here Thursday as over 5,500 athletes and officials of the expected 7,000 for the event beginning Oct 3 focussed their attention on training.
The Baton entered the host city from Haryana after travelling through 71 participating countries and all the Indian states and union territories. Over the next two days it will be taken through Delhi before entering the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue of the opening ceremony.
Among those to arrive at the Village was the entire 52-strong Australian swimming team which had stayed back in Malaysia over concerns about the security situation in India.
The team entered the Village late Wednesday and head coach Leigh Nugent said he was happy that all members had travelled to India.
Though facilities at the Village and the venues are coming in for praise from the athletes and officials after weeks of being slammed, the issue continued to rankle Kalmadi who Thursday said he was not only ready for a probe but wanted it to get to the truth.
"I am ready for any inquiry, post the Games. In fact, an inquiry must be held, to get to the bottom of the truth," he said addressing the inaugural session of the two-day ‘FICCI TURF 2010', the second Global Sports Summit - international Convention on the Business of Sports. The summit organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries, began in Delhi Thursday.
"All the infrastructure that has been put up is world class; the Games village is the finest anywhere. All the athletes that have arrived to date have moved in to the village and all the Commonwealth countries are participating in CWG 2010," Kalmadi said.
Apparently referring to criticism that the sporting facilities would be a waste of money after the Games end Oct 14, Kalmadi acknowledged "the challenge, post the Games, would be to utilize optimally the infrastructure that has been created."
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Demand to sack coach Sandeep shocks hockey circles
By Anand Philar
New Delhi, Sep 30: A sense of shock and disbelief pervaded the Indian women's hockey camp following the reported demand of government observer and former captain Rupa Saini for removal of chief coach Sandeep Somesh and his assistant Khalid Modi.
The justification for the demand is the team's performance in the World Cup in Argentina (Aug 29-Sept 3) where India lost their opening three games, but eventually finished a creditable ninth.
Neither Somesh nor Modi were willing to react to the story, but it was evident they were taken by surprise at the latest development in Indian women's hockey, which was hit by a sex scandal in July involving the then chief coach Maharaj Krishan Kaushik.
Kaushik subsequently resigned just a day before the team's departure to Busan, South Korea, for the inaugural Asian Women's Champions Trophy where India, coached by Somesh and Modi, won a bronze medal, defeating China, ranked No.3 in the World.
"We haven't seen the papers," said the two coaches and that was as far they were willing to go in offering a comment on the latest development.
But those in the know point to the fact that Saini had made similar demands in 2008 when Somesh and Modi were first picked to coach the national team under Kaushik.
"Saini has been gunning for the two since then, though nobody is quite sure why," said an official on the condition of anonymity.
Saini had accompanied the Indian team to Argentina as the manager and the official Thursday wondered whether she had exceeded her brief in commenting on the coaches.
But the latest development is in keeping with the historical trend in Indian hockey where controversies have been more a rule than exception ahead of any major tournament.
Those familiar with the situation believe that there is more to it than meets the eye considering the timing of the latest controversy, less than a week before the commencement of the competition.
India won the gold medal in 2002 Games at Manchester and silver in 2006 at Melbourne, and are among the favourites for a medal at the Games here.
52-member Australian swimming team arrive for Commonwealth Games
New Delhi, Sep 30: The strong 52-member Australian swimming team, which was training in Kuala Lumpur and had some security fears, flew down here Wednesday night.
Australian swimmer Eamon Sullivan tweeted describing the conditions in the Games Village as "livable"
"First night in Delhi down. The apartments are.... Well, livable! Going to the food hall to explore!", he tweeted.
Andrew Lauterstein seemed to be enjoying the village: "Living large in the Village," he tweeted.
Some swimmers had spent time in the team camp in Malaysia deliberating on whether or not to compete in India.
"There have been (security) concerns right before we came to right to when we were here but not enough to stop them from coming," said head coach Leigh Nugent.
Nugent believes that every Australian team would have had concerned athletes.
"We are no different," Nugent said.
Nugent expressed his relief that all had chosen to travel.
"We sure are (happy)," Nugent said. "Racing starts Monday so we are looking forward to that."
Nugent thinks this team can achieve the Melbourne Commonwealth Games tally of over 50 medals, despite the fact that there are 31 debutants this time around.
"They are good enough," Nugent said.
While the other sports may have been depleted due to withdrawals, the pool is set to be a world class battle with England and Australia set to vie for the top spot on the medals table.
England's team members have been talking up their chances - Australia weren't.
"We will leave the talking to the swimming pool," Nugent said.
England were second to Australia in the swimming medals table in Melbourne with eight golds, 11 silvers and four bronzes. Team England contains Great Britain team members who won a best-ever third spot in the European Championships in August.
The six-day pool programme starts Oct 4.
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Expect a great show from Pakistan, says hockey captain
New Delhi, Sep 29: Pakistan hockey captain Rehan Butt, after arriving here Wednesday, promised a great show from his team at the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
Pakistan finished 12th at the World Cup earlier this year, but Butt hoped that this time they will put up a much improved show.
"Australia, England and New Zealand are always tough opponents and the match with India, apart from be an emotional challenge, is always a tough game," he said.
Pakistan have flirted with success in hockey in the last two editions of the Commonwealth Games, having finished with a bronze in 2002 at Manchester and silver in Melbourne in 2006. In 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, when hockey was introduced to the Games, they however had a pretty poor run, finishing fourth in their group.
Asked if Pakistan were targeting gold this time, Butt said: "We can't say we will win for sure, but we will definitely give it a good shot. Our aim is to do well in the Guangzhou Asian Games, so a good result here will always be a great plus for us."
"As I had said even before leaving Pakistan, efforts of the host city should be supported instead of being criticized. We have just landed here and have still to get to our rooms, but what see around me is quite beautiful. I am sure that the Village and other facilities will be quite excellent," he said.
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After the Village, paeans for stadiums from athletes, officials (Night Lead)
New Delhi, Sep 29: Enjoying the 'excellent food' and 'comfortable stay' at the Commonwealth Games Village, athletes and officials Wednesday spoke here in superlatives to describe the facilities at various venues for the Oct 3-14 Games.
'World class', 'amazing', 'excellent', said the athletes and officials as focus shifted on the athletes, their training and preparedness for the Games, after rubbishing for weeks the Village 'unclean', 'unhygienic' and 'unlivable.' A highly satisfied Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced that all the towers at the Village are clean and ready to occupy.
Teams from most of the 71 countries staying at the Village and training at various facilities also praised the security measures in place, though some of them said they had never seen such elaborate arrangement.
Union Sports Minister M. S. Gill and the much-criticised head of the Organizing Committee (OC) Suresh Kalmadi were at the Village for around two hours, not pointing fingers at each other, but sporting a 'didn't-I-say-so look' as athletes and chef-de-mission after chef-de-mission sang paeans about the accommodation, facilities and venues.
The athletes and officials streamed into the Village and more than 1,000 checked in Wednesday, taking the number to around 4,000 of the expected 7,000.
Even as the Australian chef-de-mission Steve Moneghetti kept telling everyone how impressed the members of his contingent were with the facilities, his government dampened their spirits by putting a spoke in the wheel by issuing a fresh travel advisory for its nationals, asking them to avoid parts of the country and the Indian capital.
However, Home Minister P. Chidambaram maintained that 'foolproof security will be provided for the event.
After the visit, Gill said: "I have spent almost two hours in the village and spoken to teams from at least 13 countries. Honestly, all of them said that they are feeling very comfortable and are glad to be here."
"I am personally satisfied with the arrangements and situation at the Village and venues," he told reporters.
"There is nothing to worry about," he said referring to the Australian advisory, pointing out that stringent security measures were in place.
Dikshit was at the Village with Union Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, to see the cleaning of the complex was complete hours ahead of the deadline for the work was to end.
"The Village is now absolutely ready for occupation," she said.
"The work at the Village is complete. All the lifts are functional," Dikshit said, adding that the problem of waterlogging has also been addressed.
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Indian cricket team gets new ODI kit
Chandigarh, Sep 29: With a brighter, bolder shade of blue and a few golden stars to go with it, the Indian cricket team Wednesday got a new kit from the official apparel sponsor, Nike.
The new kit, made from recycled plastic bottles, was unveiled at a function at the Parade Ground here. Team India will sport the newly launched kit for both the ODI and T20 formats.
India's men in blue - Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Gautam Gambhir - were present at Nike's launch event here Wednesday.
Speaking at the launch, Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar said: "Cricket is a dynamic phenomenon, with as many as three versions being played and followed all over the world. Cricket in India has evolved over the years, from being a sport, to an institution that unites the entire country. Nike's new ODI kit, with the innovations in technology and brighter blue, embodies the same."
The team will debut in this new ODI kit in the forthcoming India-Australia ODI series next month.
"The new brighter bolder blue jersey showcased at the launch event is made entirely from recycled polyester, each one produced from up to eight recycled plastic bottles. The national team kits represent an important step in the process to make all Nike products more sustainable," a Nike spokesperson said here.
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