With India’s reputation as a destination fast sinking, Commonwealth Games organisers were still trying to put an acceptable face with just 12 days to go for the October 3-14 event.

The government took strong note of the spate of corruption allegations levelled at the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and decided to clip OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi’s wings by appointing 11 s

The turmoil within the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee continued on Thursday with one official resigning, three others being suspended and a multi-crore deal with an Australian firm terminated on a day of high drama.

When Sushil Kumar became only the second Indian grappler ever to win an Olympic medal — at the 2008 Beijing Games — the entire nation stood up to take notice. A couple of years later, the 27-year old is still going strong after bagging a gold in the Asian Wrestling Championships here in May.

“Own a part of the Games” — that’s the slogan for the Commonwealth Games-related merchandise. Marketing the October 3 to 14 mega-event will be the Organising Committee’s main objective to generate the maximum revenue possible. With 91 days to go, sources within the OC claim that major sporting apparels brand have chosen not to associate themselves with the CWG.

The Indian Olympic Association is doing precious little in providing optimal training facilities for their athletes in preparation for the Commonwealth Games to be followed by the Asian Games. Tired of training under stifling conditions in India, the nation’s top boxers and wrestlers are looking westwards for more options.

A year back, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee had promised to deliver the venues by December 31, 2009 but after innumerable delays June 30, 2010, was finally set as D-Day.

The Queen’s Baton arrives in India on Friday with only a 100 days to go for the Commonwealth Games to get under way in the capital on October 3.

The world’s biggest sporting extravaganza — the Fifa World Cup — will take its first steps on African soil with billions of viewers from across the world tuning in to witness the 19th edition kick off at the Soccer City in Johannesburg on Friday. It will be yet another pivotal moment for a nation once torn apart by racial differences which has come a long way in 16 years after it broke away from the clutches of apartheid. Francois Pienaar’s 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks united South Africa, the Fifa World Cup is expected to showcase their might.

The construction delays across the 11 venues for the Commonwealth Games is keeping organisers on tenterhooks. Although most of the venues have been inaugurated, Commonwealth Games Federation’s chief executive officer Mike Hooper feels there is still some way to go before they can be ‘Games-ready’.