COMMONWEALTH GAMES COUNTDOWN NEWS - Oct 12, 2009

PRINCE EDWARD IN NEW DELHI FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES LOOK

Prince Edward visited the Games venues and appreciated the efforts being put in towards hosting the Commonwealth Games which are going to be hosted next year in October. The Prince visited the stadia where the games would be held i.e Thyagaraj Stadium, Nehru stadium, National Stadium as also the Games Village. A minature model of the Games was also shown during the Prince's visit to the Games village. UK royal Prince Edward had flown in to New Delhi to oversee the state of preparations for the Commonwealth Games. The visit of the Prince included a tour of the stadia where the Games will be held, a luncheon hosted in his honour and other programs for the delegation that he is leading.

FARMHOUSES TO HOST VISITORS

The status of accomodation in Delhi for visitors was earlier reported on this site. Now the Delhi Government has decided to arrange farmouses as part of the accomodation that is going to be available for the Games! It is believed that farmhouse owners are keen to contribute to the Games in the form of rooms in their properties which can be given out during the Games. These farmhouses are scattered around the suburbs of New Delhi in areas like Vasant Kunj, Mehrauli, Faridabad etc. These farmhouses are supposed to be premium accomodation in India which the wealthy in the country own.

FENNELL COMES AROUND

Mike Fennell, leader of the Commonwealth Games Federation is said to have indicated that he is satisfied with the pace at which preparations are being made for the Commonwelath Games to be held in October 2010. The news was conveyed by the Organizing Committee Secretary General, Lalit Bhanot.  Earlier Mike Fennell sat through the presentation of the preparations being made for the Games, some newspapers and television channels having clicked him in a pose with eyes shut at his seat to show a purported disinterest on his part. On his last visit, Fennel had raised concerns at the pace of work and had also met the Indian Prime Minister in this regard.

NEWS FROM COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES

It was previously reported on this site about Gold Coast, Australia to bid for the Commonwealth Games to be held in 2018, the venue for which is yet to be decided. Anna Bligh, Premier of Queensland, where Gold Coast is located has met Commonwealth Games officials in New Delhi with the purpose of detailing her intentions for hosting the Games in 2018.  The Queensland Government is very keen to host the Games due to almost 30000 jobs that could be created as also the tremendous economic benefits that would accrue from hosting the Games.

The other venues which may be bidding for the 2018 Games are Abuja(Nigeria), Auckland(New Zealand), Durban(South Africa) and Nairobi(Kenya). The 2014 bid has been won by Glasgow which will be hosting the Games in Scotland.