Delhi Commonwealth Games will be the most secure ever: Kalmadi
(Exclusive Interview)

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi: Suresh Kalmadi must be going through the happiest time of his life these days. After all, there have been a series of happy tidings for the Member of Parliament from Pune: first his Congress party was voted back to power in Delhi, an event that cleared path to a great extent vis-à-vis preparations for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, then he was re-elected from Pune for a third term to Lok Sabha even as the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance won the people’s mandate to govern the country for another five years.

Upbeat, the 65-year-old sports administrator does not lose any opportunity these days to point out the “continuity” factor all around the Games. President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) since 1996, Kalmadi has also been president of the Asian Athletics Association since 2000. But perhaps the biggest challenge of his career as a sports administrator – specifically as chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee -- is to ensure that the Delhi event is held successfully and smoothly.

After his well-documented disagreements with previous Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, Kalmadi has been getting full support from his successor Manohar Singh Gill, who was given a second term in the ministry after the recent general election.

Three days after he turned 65, a relaxed and cheerful Kalmadi spoke to Qaiser Mohammad Ali at his residence, on a variety of issues concerning the Commonwealth Games, like the security aspect, doubts about infrastructure deadline being extended, recession’s impact on the Games and the 2010 Asian Games that follow the Delhi Games.

Interview:

Are you satisfied with the overall progress in preparations for the Games? There must be some concerns as preparations in certain areas are behind schedule.

Let me make it quite clear: nothing is behind schedule; everything is on track. The coordination commission of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) had come here. They went through the entire infrastructure and the organisation of the Games. As far as infrastructure is concerned, everything will be handed over to the organising committee (OC) by this December.

Since Sports Minister Gill is supporting the organisers, have you received everything that you have been demanding from the ministry?

The government, Mr Gill and sports secretary Mrs Khullar have been looking into all the problem areas. We all are working together as Team India.


Cost escalation has become a major factor. The projected figures are shooting up and experts say the overall cost of the Games could eventually go up to Rs.50,000 crores by they begin. What will be the final cost of the Games in your estimate?

You will have to ask the sports ministry about this. It depends what you take as the cost of the Games. If you are taking the overall cost, what are you going to take as the cost? Stadiums is one cost, organising the Games is another, the metro, the flyovers, roads, the airport … now what cost are you going to take? This is all for the legacy of the Games. All this is coming up not just for the 15 days of the Games; it is for years after that. Of course, some costs have gone up and that’s being worked out. But we have to give the best ever Commonwealth Games -- it’s the showcase that India has to offer to the world. Lots of countries would be interested in coming to India to see what it looks like. So we should give the best infrastructure they would be able to see.

I have heard that there was move to request the government to waive off the loan (the money that the organising committee is borrowing). Is it true?

That is a continuous process. We keep having a dialogue.

Post Mumbai and Lahore attacks, security has suddenly become a big issue and a cause of concern for foreign athletes.

The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the union home ministry and the organising committee have had several rounds of meetings, but we can’t disclose to you what exactly we are doing. We are satisfying the CGF observers who have been coming to assess things. At the same time, we are ensuring that they are the best Games ever and the most secure Games. Delhi Police will be responsible for overall security. Delhi will be employing the Beijing [2008 Olympic Games] and Melbourne [2006 Commonwealth Games] models and improvising more to suit Indian conditions.

You have said that Australian agencies have been appointed. Which are these agencies and when were they appointed?

They are the normal security consultants of the CGF. They keep coming and checking the security and give their reports to all 71 countries. Naturally, all 71 countries want to know about security aspect so have made sure that there are good elements and extra efforts are taken until they are satisfied that Delhi is okay.

Then there is this question of holding test events before the Games. And because of the delay in infrastructure, the Commonwealth boxing has been postponed and the World Badminton Championship shifted to Hyderabad. Will there be enough time before the Games to test all the venues?

It’s not a question of delay. Our infrastructure was going to come up at a particular time. The World Badminton Championship was taken to Hyderabad for other reasons, not because of the delay. They found that in Hyderabad they could find much more sponsorships from the local governments etc. All test events for the Games will be held on time and we will test out every venue.

Have changes been made to the infrastructure at Siri Fort Sports Complex as per the suggestions made by the Charles Correa Committee appointed by the Supreme Court?

You should ask the DDA, which is directly responsible for that. The matter was in the [Supreme] Court and it was settled amicably in the court. So, I think there is no need to fear about that.

Is it purely India’s bad luck that recession has coincided with the Games preparations? Has the recession impacted the Games too?

So far it has not made any impact. So far out television revenues go, we have received almost the double of what the 2006 Melbourne Games got.

We know that the hotels are not coming up in as many numbers as they were initially projected by the Delhi government. What is the alternative?

The hotels are coming up, also in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Then we have the Bed & Breakfast Scheme, which is making the common man get associated with the Games. DDA has given a 4,000-room accommodation/flats. We are converting them into hotels. Indian Tourism Development Corporation Limited is doing their work. Then we have tentative accommodation for people who will be there for the opening ceremony, the volunteers etc.

While all the focus is on the Commonwealth Games there is hardly any talk about Asian Games that follow soon after.

The Commonwealth Games are next only to the Olympics. We are the hosts, remember that. So naturally we will give priority to that. But we are not neglecting the Asian Games. Camps for the Asian Games are also going on. And Asian Games have different disciplines than the Commonwealth Games. The Delhi Games will have only 17 disciplines whereas the Asian Games will have 30-32 disciplines. But Asian Games are equally important, I agree with you.
(This interview first appeared at www.SportzPower.com)