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Pakistan monitoring Commonwealth concerns
The Games are plunged into crisis 12 days from the start after the athletes’ village was described as “uninhabitable”.
The collapse outside the main stadium left at least 27 injured. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE: The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) President Lt-General (retd) Syed Arif Hasan has said that the authorities were closely monitoring the situation in India ahead of the Commonwealth Games before confirming that the 75-member delegation is due to leave on September 29.
The Games have been plunged into crisis 12 days from the start after the athletes’ village was described as “uninhabitable” and a footbridge collapsed at the main stadium. The approximately 100-metre long pedestrian bridge fell down just outside the main Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which will host the opening ceremony and athletics when the showpiece event begins on October 3.
This followed security concerns after a gun attack on a tourist bus outside a mosque in New Delhi on Sunday, which has added to security woes ahead of the Games.
“Pakistan is monitoring all the growing aspects to address any concerns that its contingent might face for the Games,” Hasan told The Express Tribune. “Government on its part would take appropriate steps, if necessary, to ensure security of its squad.”
Hasan however, said that Pakistan received a letter from the Games committee, assuring them of security.
“We received a letter from the committee to ensure security during the event but our security official [Additional IG Islamabad] is going to India to monitor the situation,” added Hasan. “But we have made all the arrangements and the delegation is due to leave on September 29.”
Earlier, the Games’ organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi assured that there were no security concerns after the attack while a top official suggested that complaints about cleanliness in the village were due to the exacting demands.
“Everyone has different standards about cleanliness. The Westerners have different standards, we have different ones,” said Organising Committee Secretary-General Lalit Bhanot.
He said, however, that the workers were instructed to deliver “the quality of hygiene to make our guests happy”.
Growing concerns among participants
Australian discus world champion Dani Samuels pulled out because of security and health concerns, according to her coach. England and Scotland’s teams are also concerned the poor quality of the village may put the event in doubt.
Scottish officials found their original accommodation to be “unsafe and unfit for human habitation”.
However, England are “optimistic” they will compete but say urgent work is needed before the Games begin. (With additional input from AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2010.
Reader Comments (20)
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The Common Wealth Games are a big embarrassment to India. At this time when one would expect the common man to be full of spirits about our country hosting such an event, I feel sorry to say that the feeling is about complete resentment. With the level of corruption exposed, it is our hard earned tax payer money that seems to have been pocketed at different levels. In addition, we are troubled in general with other things – the rising number of dengue cases, CWG restrictions on the roads, house maids being thrown out of the city, pot holed roads because of the rains etc. I personally want to boycott this event by not even watching it on TV, forget going to the venues.Recommend
I am an Indian and I hope the games turn out to be absolute failure. Hopefully Pakistanis will help their neighbors by boycotting the games. India’s politicians have been too much pampered by their growing economic and political clout especially by the international community over the last decade. Time to give them a big kick to their backsides and wake them up.Recommend
Nitin, you have summed it up perfectly. I am so sad to be an Indian whose pants have been stripped off and made to parade in front of the whole world. But I am proud of every Indian who is openly saying it like it is. This to me is a difference. Boycott CWG couldn’t have been put better. Recommend
At this point of time when nothing is happening our way, only miracle can save us from embrassement. I sincerly wish everything fall in place before CWG and these games become hit, but after games corrupt beurocrats and politicians must be punished for their shoddy work. Recommend
Pakistan monitoring security … hahahaha that cracked me up nice one POA hit it where it hurts the mostRecommend
Beggers Hosting … What else one could expect.Recommend
I think what Shining (still?) India should do is after the games celebrate indian democracy and the slanted indian media which is just busy promoting brand India, in one of the unfinished stadium.
And please FOR ONCE DONT BLAME THIS ON THE ISI…….MY PERSONAL “BINITHI”Recommend
@ fasih , salman
Let us also not get so excited about a bad performance from India… that too something that hasn’t yet started. Also believe that we are in realty atleast 20 years behind India in education, science, economy and other factors that are important to be respected by the international community. All in all… hope our countrymen dont get carried away with something that does not involve any achievement from our part.Recommend
Surprised to see Indians reacting against the CWG organisers so strongly… even their media seem to be very aggressive on the politicians…. but EXTREMELY DISSAPOINTED to see some of us feeling good about it. We should rejoice only after winning the bid and hosting such a massive event ourselves.Recommend
FASIH
Well Lemme add…..india got a 200 year head start compared to Pakistan. The biased demarcation of boundaries, distribution of resources and the list goes on and on. The LEAST DEVELOPED area were comprised into Pakistan.
Over here I am just referring the the CWG event. You wont find a single TV channel running an expose on the corruption and mismanagment and on the flipside you wont find an Indian channel which would just keep doting on BRAND INDIA and how all this is better than Beijing. I mean those were the Olympics.
My point is till when India will continue to whitewash things just in the name of “Oh sir we are a democracy”. If it wants to rise up to the occasion it needs to make an honest assessment to were it stands and deliver the goods to its people.Recommend
@Salman Raza
I believe and as far as i m concerned, most Pakistanis also think that we are in position to lecture India. Our concern is our country where instead of lecturing a country recognised already by the world as a global power is of no use and only an “honest assessment to where WE stand and deliver the goods to OUR people” will help us progress.Recommend
What’s wrong if we get some pleasure from an embarassment to India? Everyone laughs at us throughout the year… itz time they realise that anyone can fail at something… it does not make them a failed state. Besides I think that Pakistan should pull out due to player-safety like what everyone does to us. We should not under-value ourselves.Recommend
@ Anwar
Wish you could have seen the disgraceful Indians bashing Pakistan and Islaam on many sites especially CNN, just because they have failed miserably to host an event, I’m sure your reaction would be different on my above comment.
For your refference … Indian moderators were deleting every single reasonable comment by me, and were publishing abbusive and Obnoxious comments of Indians against Islaam and Pakistan.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/09/22/commonwealth.games/index.html
@ Salman
Absolutely Trure Brother, We just have many ”Self Accountables” that’s the problem. They keep pointing their Guns on our own heads.Recommend
i am surprised that how corruption in india has brought a bad name to india when we thought finally at least india who hate pakistan with impunity can impress the world but alas it is shameful display and how west is thumbing their noses on the brown man.
china did fantastic… indian should have millions of good engineers yet they cant put up one good event…sad, sad very sad.Recommend
i agree we under no circumstances we can compare our ourselves with achievemennts of india…south has shined in india…in pakistan corruption has more glittered more then gold…one manmohan singh can change pakistan also…where will he come from…not from military which is corrupt as well after mush, bush and muchh .Recommend
This is the true picture of India.At last Indians are getting a reality check.Indian media had been fooling its own people for very long now.It had made them feel next only to America.But now when the reality strikes then the truth is exposed.Pakistan should be careful they might orchestrate one more Bombay type attack and blame it on you guys, thus will they succeed in diverting their failure on to pakistan sponsored terror and crap.India has 25% population living below the line of poverty those who eat and sleep on railway tracts,But Indian media will never show you that picture.They only show you Anil Ambhany and Ratan TATA.Recommend
Blame it on ISI! Recommend
And regarding Pakistani team coming to India.Who cares for them…Recommend
Pakistanis can’t even host a cricket match, and are mocking India’s difficulties in hosting Commonwealth Games ? Pakistanis are fast becoming total losers.Recommend
Well,
Its understood that we had difficulties hosting common wealth games. We definately have corrupt politicians. But at least our future is secured. We are compared to the best of countries in the world. Not because our media portrays us like that, Its figures that talk.
Come on people, We give you $25 million through U.N. even after Bombay, parliament and million other attacks you have inflicted on us. Helping you in your bad times.
I Think its time for you guys to grow up and recognize us as your friends. Hatred won’t take us any where, Its time to patch up and grow together. Recommend