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2010 Games: India rejects Big Brother committee
NDTV Correspondent, Thursday October 15, 2009, New Delhi

India has rejected what was seen as the compromise formula for the 2010 Games. Suresh Kalmadi has said he will not accept an independent panel of experts to monitor Delhi's progress for the Games. Kalmadi is Chairman of the Organizing Committee for next year's Games.

On Monday, a new committee that would review India's preparations every month was suggested by Mike Fennel, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation. The Big Brother panel was seen as a thinly-veiled indictment.

Fennel has written directly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking for his help with the Games.  Fennell and other delegates visited several of the venues for the Games in Delhi last week. Construction at most venues are running behind schedule.

Kalmadi has struck back on Thursday by counter-attacking the international organizers. He has requested that Mike Hooper be sent back to London. Hooper is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

In a direct attack, Kalmadi said Hooper has "not proved beneficial to the organizing committee of the Games...he has been of no use. We've asked that he be sent back to London, and we'd like a replacement".

Hooper's response to NDTV: "This is the time to work together, Kalmadi should learn to work together, not make personal issues...the suggestion that I am an impediment is nonsense. I thought I was doing well."

The politics of organizing the Games could soon overshadow the real task at hand: getting Delhi ready on time, and without rushing through safety checks.
 
 
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Comments
Posted by Nitin Oberoi on Oct 15, 2009
Outburst from Suresh Kalmadi is irresponsible and unprofessional-He is behaving like a typical government employee.
Posted by vr vedula on Oct 15, 2009
Suresh Kalmadi has had a good innings rising in the hierarchy of the government by organising athletics events. He has enjoyed enough of political patronage and fruits thereof. He is behaving like a monarch not realising that his faculties and capabilities have a limitation restricting same to localised events. Government should realise this fact and have him replaced from the post of Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games by other worthy sport events organiser. To pass the buck of slow pace of infrastructure construction on to the CEO is like the proverbial 'wisdom dawning in stages'. It is high time Suresh Kalmadi and his ilk are booted out.
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