12.14 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Everything will be alright tomorrow: Kalmadi

Published
By Reuters

Delhi Commonwealth Games chief Suresh Kalmadi brushed aside a string of problems with transport, a lack of spectators, food and security delays on Tuesday, saying everything would be resolved within 24 hours.

In a sometimes farcical news conference, Kalmadi admitted some venues had been without ticket booths for the first day of of competition but denied the scandal-hit preparations for the event had contributed to low attendances.

Organisers had sold 600,000 of the 1.5 million available tickets for the 12 days of the Games, Kalmadi said, and busing in schoolchildren to fill the empty seats was being considered.

"Ticket box offices are now in place at every stadium," said Kalmadi, who was booed by the crowd at Sunday's opening ceremony. "There were problems with transport and food because of security reasons.

"We have sorted out many issues that were there, all the other issues will be addressed by tomorrow," he added.

"That's the deadline for everything, like we had a deadline for the athletes' village," he concluded to roars of laughter.

The filthy conditions at the athletes' village when it was handed over forced some teams to delay their arrival or move to hotels, causing acute embarrassment to a country hoping to showcase its growing economic might through the $6 billion Games.

Other preparatory problems ranged from corruption and threats to security, to a collapsed footbridge and health issues, and the Indian government was forced to step in to ensure everything was ready on time.

HOWLS OF DERISION

The massive security operation surrounding the Games, which involves some 100,000 personnel, prompted complaints from athletes because of the time it took to get to and from venues.

Several athletes withdrew from the Games because of concerns about security in India, which suffered a militant attack on its financial capital Mumbai in 2008 that killed more than 100 people.

A less deadly threat, a plague of moths and other bugs attracted to the lights and water at the venues, was being countered by clouds of insecticide.

A question to organisers about stomach complaints suffered on Monday by two Australia swimmers, including men's 400m freestyle silver medallist Ryan Napoleon, prompted a bizarre exchange at the first of the daily media briefings.

The official responsible for catering said he had not heard the reports. Kalmadi then said he would get back to the media on the issue "tomorrow", before Games Federation chief Michael Fennell stepped in to say he had requested an investigation.

Day two of sporting competition at the Games for 71 mostly former British colonies started well for the host nation with India taking their first two gold medals through their sharp-eyed shooters.

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and his partner Gagan Narang claimed the first in the 10m air rifle pairs before Anisa Syyed and Rahee Sarnobat also hit the golden target in the women's 25m pistol pairs.

Another 16 medals are up for grabs on day two in swimming, cycling, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling.

Organisers said Monday's problem with the scales at the boxing weigh-in had been rectified and that teething problems with the media information system had been resolved -- the latter drawing howls of derision from the journalists.

"Yesterday was the first day of the Games," Kalmadi said. "Today we are sorting everything out and from tomorrow we will have a free flow of everything."