Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly meet begins

October 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Amid skepticism over New Delhi's preparedness for holding the Commonwealth Games next year, Vice Patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Prince Edward- the Earl of Wessex, visited various sites here to assess the preparations on Sunday. Prince Edward, who was escorted by officials of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, visited the games village, the National Stadium and Commonwealth Games Headquarters to assess progress ahead of the mega event to be held in October 2010.

October 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and vice-patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), gave a thumbs-up to India's preparation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games here Sunday. Edward, who is here to attend Monday's CGF General Assembly, went around the city to inspect various venues and the Games Village being constructed for the mega event.

October 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief Michael Fennell, who last month raised doubts about the preparations for the 2010 Games here, is satisfied with the progress after taking stock of the situation, Secretary General of the Organising Committee Lalit Bhanot said Saturday. Fennell, along with delegates from 71 countries, are here for the CGF General Assembly.

October 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Commonwealth Games Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot has said that the visiting CGF delegation was confident that all infrastructure in New Delhi would be put in place before the deadline. Delegates from all the 71 member nations of the CGF are presently in New Delhi ahead of the CGF General Assembly on October 12.

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - After visiting the upcoming Games Village here for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, a member of the CG Federation (CGF) felt Thursday that a lot still needs to be done though quite a bit of work has been carried out. "Quite a bit of work has been done and there is still a lot more to be done," president of British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee Ephraim Penn told reporters before he was taken away by the Organising Committee officials.

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - An off-the-cuff remark by a Commonwealth Games Federation member during the delgates' conducted tour of various venues Thursday caught the organisers off guard, and thereafter the media was kept at an arm's length for the rest of the day. Ephraim Penn, president of the British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee, was caught on camera at the Games Village blurting out that "a lot of work still remains to be done." "Quite a bit of work has been done and there is still a lot more to be done," he said.

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Amid mounting concern over New Delhi's slow preparation for the Commonwealth Games next year, a team of the games' committee on Thursday visited the Thyagraj Stadium, which is expected to open at the end of December. Led by Mike Fennell, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the team also visited the games village to assess the progress there.

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell, who raised concerns about India's preparedness for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was found napping during a presentation made by the Organising Committee (OC) at the Thyagaraj Stadium here Thursday. During the presentation, Fennell and some delegates were caught on camera dozing off much to the disappointment of the Indian officials.

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Secretary general of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Lalit Bhanot said Thursday that India will support Fiji's membership to be retained for the 2010 Games here. "India is supporting Fiji's membership.

October 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chairman Mike Fenell Wednesday met India's Sports Minister M.S. Gill to discuss the progress of work for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

October 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The countdown for the Commonwealth Games, to be hosted by India in 2010, is marked by the unveiling of a Commonwealth clock. The 12-day event, which starts from October 3, 2010, at the 75,000-capacity Jawaharal Nehru Stadium in the heart of New Delhi, will be India's first major international sports event after the 1982 Asian Games.

September 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Calling it a matter of pride for the nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said his government would spare no effort to ensure that the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be hosted here are successfully conducted. "The government is fully aware that national prestige is at stake, and it would provide complete support to the Organising Committee," Manmohan Singh said during a meeting with Commonwealth Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, according to a statement issued by the committee.

September 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A four-month old Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report seems to have alarmed Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Michael Fennell so much that he shot off a letter to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to seek the intervention of the Prime Minister in the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A top official of the organising committee told IANS that the CAG report had details of last year's preparation but development work including construction of venues and organisation have improved rapidly in the last few month.

September 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A day after the chief of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Michael Fennel expressed reservations regarding the completion of work and preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit on Monday admitted that there was enough room for improvement and it is being taken care of. "We are monitoring transport carefully, we are also looking for alternatives.

September 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday rebutted criticism of her government's efforts on preparations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the national capitalext year. Reacting to Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell's concerns about the organizing committee's ability to deliver, Dikshit said that she had not received or read Fennell's letter to Suresh Kalmadi, but was confident that the games preparations are going as per schedule.