CGF chief Fennel meets Sheila Dikshit
Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell met Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday morning, and is believed to have reviewed the preparations for the October 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Fennell, who inspected various venues on Wednesday, refused to comment on whether he was pleased with the progress or was still worried about whether it would all come together in time.
He is scheduled to hold a press briefing later this evening. Meanwhile, Ms Dikshit said she is confident that the preparations are on track and that the monsoon was not a cause for worry.
"No it (monsoon) does not worry me because if there was lot of flooding in Delhi it could worry us, but fortunately, so far, God willing, this rain is very good for Delhi because it is this rain which gives us the underground water and lasts us throughout the year," said Ms Disksit.
"There will always be worries till the Commonwealth Games are over. There is always a sense of great tension and nervousness. Till the Games are over, we will not be able to rest in peace. That is there. But day by day, we are getting more confident and things will be alright," she added.
Fennel also visited the shooting ranges here this morning. He is expected to meet Union sports minister M.S. Gill and Union urban development minister S. Jaipal Reddy later in the day, besides meeting Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in the evening.
Earlier on Wednesday, against the backdrop of a spate of controversies surrounding the Delhi Commonwealth Games, Fennell visited a few stadiums to inspect the facilities and take stock of the progress made in completing all the work at the venues.
Fennell began his inspection tour with the net-ball venue Thyagaraj Stadium in South Delhi and then went straight to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies.
Fennell, who is accompanied by CEO Mike Hooper, also visited Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium and the Games Village. He is also expected to meet government officials to get an update on security for the 2010 Games beginning on October 3.
The arrival of Fennel against the backdrop of a spate of controversies surrounding the Delhi Commonwealth Games is looked upon keenly especially after a few participating nations raised doubts about security issues during the mega event.
Earlier on Monday, Organising Committee vice-chairman Randhir Singh assured that all the stadiums are in top-class shape and will be ready within a week. During his visit to New Delhi in March, Fennel expressed optimism that Delhi will put up a first-class show as host of the XIX Commonwealth Games, and said he was satisfied with the preparations the 2010 Games.
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