Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Pride of the Delhi CWG

A Brief History of the Commonwealth Games

 The very first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada in the year 1930. Canadian Athlete, Bobby Robinson was the key force behind the start of the games as he finally put talks that were taking place for decades into practice. A total of 11 nations accumulating 400 athletes participated in CWG 1930.Since 1930 the games have been taking place once in every four years except 1942 and 1946 due to the intervention of World War II. Out of the 16 games that have been played so far, four of them have been hosted by Australian cities (Sydney 1938, Perth 1962, Brisbane 1982 and Melbourne 2006).The name of the Games has been shuffled quite a few times. Between the years 1930 and 1950, the Commonwealth Games were renamed as the British Empire Games and then the British Empire. From 1966 to 1974, the games were called the British Commonwealth Games and 1978 onwards they were titled to what is now the Commonwealth Games.Commonwealth Games were founded on the basis of history and not on the nations geographical position or climatic conditions. One of the main characteristics of the Games is that the participating countries share one common language. From athletes to coaches and other officials, everyone can converse with each other in English, creating a friendly atmosphere leading to the games often being called as the "Friendly Games".

In order to keep the Games always competitive and exciting, the Commonwealth Games Federation agreed to include team sports in Kuala Lumpur 1998 for the first time in the history of the Games. Unlike other sporting events, Commonwealth Games bring together nations from different continents under one roof sharing the family spirit of the same historical moments, experiences and links that go beyond cultural barriers.

Source: Hindustan Times

 Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex

Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex is a modern and a fully equipped sports complex with world class facilities.

Stadium Facts

Athletics
Capacity 60,000
Competition Arena 400 m 9 lane Conica Synthetic surface Athletic track with 10 lanes in Home Straight, 60 m 4 lane Conica Synthetic surface strip at Indoor hold up area and two warm up areas - 8 lane Conica synthetic surface track and for Long Throws
Distance from Games Village 12 Km

Lawn Bowls
Capacity 2,111
Competition Arena Four competition synthetic greens with flood lights
Distance from Games Village 12 Km

Weightlifting
Capacity 2,500
Competition Arena One competition platform; 12 warm-up platforms
Distance from Games Village 12 Km


Stadium Events
Event Event Dates
Opening Ceremony 03 Oct. 2010
Athletics Track & Field 06-12 Oct. 2010
Marathon 14 Oct. 2010
Walk 09 Oct. 2010
Lawn Bowls 04-13 Oct. 2010
Weightlifting 04-12 Oct. 2010
Closing Ceremony 14 Oct. 2010



Check out all the venues for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games and the sports competed at the respective venue here or below
Siri Fort Sports Complex


Competition Schedule for CWG 2010


Event Venue Event Dates
Opening Ceremony JN Stadium 03 Oct. 2010
Aquatics Diving Dr SPM Swimming Complex 10-13 Oct. 2010
Swimming 04-09 Oct. 2010
Synchronised Swimming 06-07 Oct. 2010
Archery Yamuna Sports Complex 04-10 Oct. 2010
Athletics Track & Field JN Stadium 06-12 Oct. 2010
Marathon JN Stadium/Marathon Course 14 Oct. 2010
Walk 09 Oct. 2010
Badminton Siri Fort Sports Complex 04-14 Oct. 2010
Boxing Talkatora Indoor Stadium 05-11, 13 Oct. 2010
Cycling Track IG Sports Complex 05-08 Oct. 2010
Road Mass Start 10 Oct. 2010
Road Time Trials Noida Highway Express Rd 13 Oct. 2010
Gymnastics Artistic IG Sports Complex 04-08 Oct. 2010
Rhythmic 12-14 Oct. 2010
Hockey Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium 04-14 Oct. 2010
Lawn Bowls JN Sports Complex 04-13 Oct. 2010
Netball Thyagaraj Sports Complex 04-12, 14 Oct. 2010
Rugby Sevens Delhi University 11-12 Oct. 2010
Shooting Clay Target Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range 06-13 Oct. 2010
Full Bore CRPF Campus, Kadarpur 09-13 Oct. 2010
Pistol and Small Bore Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range 05-13 Oct. 2010
Squash Siri Fort Sports Complex 04-13 Oct. 2010
Table Tennis Yamuna Sports Complex 04-14 Oct. 2010
Tennis RK Khanna Tennis Stadium 04-10 Oct. 2010
Weightlifting JN Sports Complex 04-12 Oct. 2010
Wrestling IG Sports Complex 05-10 Oct. 2010
Closing Ceremony JN Stadium 14 Oct. 2010
Source: Hindustan Times















Air Force protection for CWG

MiGs, UAVs will keep Games safe
Aurangzeb Naqshbandi , Hindustan Times
New Delhi, September 29, 2010

Frontline fighters Sukhois and MiG-21 Bisons of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will guard Delhi’s skies during the Commonwealth Games (October 3 to 14). Giving them company will be Heron and Searcher — unmanned aerial vehicles hovering at a height of 6,000 to 10,000 feet, supplying monitoring centers in different parts of the city with real time pictures, a senior defence ministry official said.
The fighter planes will be stationed at nearby air bases to deal with all kinds of threats, including plane hijacks.
Anti-aircraft surface-to-air weapons along with armed helicopters will also be in ready mode at Bareilly, Sirsa, Adampur and Srinagar, the official said.
Mobile observation posts  manned by different security agencies, including the police, have been set up across the city.
The IAF has, in the last three months, trained several batches of policemen in aerial observation and interception activities besides targeting sub-conventional threats in urban areas, the official said.

Army Power to save the Delhi CWG

Army called in to complete Games work
Ruchika Chitravanshi & Gyan Varma / New Delhi September 29, 2010, 0:31 IST
Business Standard
With barely five days to go for the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010, the country has turned to the Indian Army to help salvage the situation.
About 80 army personnel from the Military Engineering Services (MES) have been deployed at the Games Village and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to complete the electrical and plumbing work.
The Army has also been entrusted with the opening and closing ceremony of the Games that will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The work at the Village and the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is being done in three shifts. The Army is in charge of one of the shifts. This is not the first time that the army has come to the rescue of an event of this scale. The Army was present in the 1982 Asian Games and the 1999 Afro-Asian Games as well.
A senior official in the Organising Committee said, “The resources we had were not adequate and we did not estimate that there would be so much delay. The army is helping in meeting the requirements.”
Besides, the army is also handling the security. According to government sources, the army has been alerted for a possible terror threat during the Games.
Jawans were recently called in to rebuild the foot over-bridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that had collapsed. The bridge which was supposed to be used by spectators to reach the stadium was re-built by them in 48 hours. A Bailey bridge, which is a temporary structure used for relief operations like flood or collapsed bridges, was built by the Army on the request of the Organising Committee.
It is not just the Indian Army that has been pressed to complete the work and meet security requirements. Sources in the security establishments said choppers of the Air Force are on standby to provide aerial security cover to the Games Village and Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the opening and closing ceremonies.
The Organising Committee had asked for 200 army officials and 400 Junior Commissioned Officers to be present at the venues and police headquarters. Overall, 1,600 army personnel were sought by the Organising Committee.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

All is well for CWG: Kalmadi


Focus on Games, not village: Kalmadi

CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi says most athletes are happy with the Games Village and all problems have been sorted out. He also says the village, which he claims is 80% complete, is better than any other in the world.



View NDTV's interview here.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Finally nailed!

Chief of CWG Press removed
25 Sep 2010, 2109 hrs IST (Times of India)
After weeks of controversies surrounding the Commonwealth Games, the heads have stated to roll. Now, the CWG Press Operations head Manish Kumar has been transferred for allegedly 'sabotaging the game'. Revolt breaks out in the media team. 
 
According to sources, Manish Kumar had an altercation with the Cabinet Secretary who has now issued marching orders to the CWG Press Operations head. In his place Manjushree Roy has taken over as DDG Press Operations. 
The sequence of event that lead to the CWG Press Operations head's transfer: 
Immediately after Mike Fennell's press conference earlier today, Cabinet Secretary appointed a committee headed by Ajay Seth met. In the meet it was found that Manish Kumar sabotaged the games. In turn the underfire allegedly hurled abuses at the Cabinet Secretary. Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar then issued the marching orders and directed OC CEO Jarnail Singh to replace Manish Kumar as the Press head in the Commonwealth Games. 
Revolt in Press team? 
There seems to be a revolt in the Press team. 
- New DDG has called for meeting of Press team
- Orders issued for entire press team to be present
- Failing which they will be liable for action
- Press team threatens to resign if DDG shunted out in this manner

Final Admission

Kalmadi, Fennell accept responsibility for shoddy CWG preparation

Suresh Kalmadi and Mike Fennell today shared the blame for the shoddy preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2010.
"I am the chairman of Organising Committee and I will take all the responsibility. There is no issue. But I wish the venues were handed to us a little earlier," Kalmadi told a press conference in New Delhi.   He also admitted that Organising Committee Secretary General Lalit Bhanot's comments about hygienic standards between Indians and others were avoidable.
I
'I wish the venues were handed to us a little earlier,' says CWG OC chief Suresh Kalmadi.
Fennell today said considerable work has been done but it has to be sustained over the next eight days to make the troubled event a success. Rounding up an emergency stock-taking trip, during which he inspected the much-criticised Games Village, Fennell said it was not the time to indulge in a blame-game but so much of work should not have been left for the last lap.
"The massive work that is being done now ought to have been done earlier," said Fennell.
Fennell expects full participation
Ending days of uncertainty over international participants, Fennell also brought some much-needed good news for the beleaguered organisers by announcing that "there would be full participation in the Games."
The spate of individual pullouts also slowed down a bit with just a British diver -- Peter Waterfield -- announcing his withdrawal.
Suresh Kalmadi and Mike Fennell today shared the blame for the shoddy preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2010.
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President of CWG Federation Michael Fenell and Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi during a press conference in Delhi.
"I am the chairman of Organising Committee and I will take all the responsibility. There is no issue. But I wish the venues were handed to us a little earlier," Kalmadi told a press conference in New Delhi.
Click here to see full image below

  Everyone has to share the blame for CWG mess: Fennell

CGF President Mike Fennell on Saturday said that everyone in the Commonwealth Games management has to share the blame for the lack of preparations ahead of the Delhi edition but hoped that they would overcome the problems in the next eight days for the successful conduct of the event.
Addressing a press conference a day after visiting the Games Village, Fennell said, "Considerable work has been done but still some more remains to be done."
But despite the controversy-marred build-up, Fennell asserted that calling off the Games "was never" on Commonwealth Games Federation's (CGF) agenda.
However, Fennell conceded that a lot of damage has been done to India's image. Flanked by embattled Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, Fennell said both India and the Commonwealth can learn a lesson from the shortcomings in organising the 19th edition of the Games scheduled October 3 to 14.
"The massive work that is being done now ought to have been done earlier," said Fennell.
"We all have to share the blame and responsibility. In any Games, there are a number of stakeholders, overall we have to ensure that we do everything to conduct the Games.
"Other Games have had problems and I believe that here also the problems would be sorted. A number of issues should have been and could have been avoided and that necessary corrective steps should be taken in good time," he added.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Let the show begin

Commonwealth Games: The party is on


Time the worst seems over. Less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told all those involved in organising the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi to "leave no stone unturned" to make the event a success, there was a sea-change at the much-maligned Games Village near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi.
The sudden activity to clean up the Village and get the Games going meant that five countries that were circumspect about India's ability to host the mega event - Scotland, Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand - joined the party on Friday by confirming their participation.
Sixty-one English athletes checked into a fivestar hotel on Friday. They are expected to move into the Games Village on Monday.
It was also a day of hectic diplomatic activity.
Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, vice-chairman Randhir Singh and secretary-general Lalit Bhanot took Commonwealth Games Federation boss Michael Fennell to the Village while sports minister M. S. Gill made phone calls to nations whose participation seemed in doubt after they complained of the "filthy" and "unlivable" conditions at the venue.
In a statement, Fennell, who arrived in Delhi on Thursday night, said: "I am certainly pleased to arrive in Delhi to the news that Australia has moved into the Village to ready for the arrival of their athletes, and with the conformation that England and Wales will be on their way to Delhi shortly." He added that " considerable improvements have been made to the Games Village." Sources said these improvements were done after the PM showed his annoyance by stopping sports minister Gill from making a presentation during a meeting of the cabinet on Thursday. Singh was understood to have told Gill, who had come with a file, that the situation had already been reviewed earlier that evening and that it was the time " to act" and "not talk". Minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, Prithviraj Chavan, also hinted at Singh's annoyance although he termed it as " concern" over threats of pullout by some teams.
Insiders associated with "Operation Cleanup" say that work in the last 48 hours has been going on a war-footing. Bhanot said: "Teams will arrive in large numbers from Saturday. Those who were mocking at the sanitation standards in the Village would themselves be laughed at. There were issues, but now the CWG Village is as clean as Beijing Olympics Village. The visiting teams will vouch for it."
Close to 2,000 workers were involved in Friday's clean- up. The organisers were helped by the sunny skies instead of the cloudy gloom that covered the city for the last three weeks. "The Village is in a festive mood," a government official, who was at the Village on Friday, said. "With just eight days to go for the opening ceremony, the Village workers were joined by Delhi government staff to ensure that there are no health or sanitation concerns." Members of the Indian contingent that moved into the Village said they were happy with their accommodation. "We had a comfortable night's stay and we even had a practice session today," said Indian men's hockey team assistant coach Harender Singh. Other sportspersons such as archers, weightlifters and table tennis players staying at the Village echoed a similar sentiment.
Village officials said some of the smaller Commonwealth nations were, in fact, surprised over the brouhaha. A top Indian Olympic Association official said, "The mood has changed dramatically.
Those who thought England would pull out were wrong. England could not have pulled out of a Commonwealth event. And whatever may have been Scotland's fears about coming to India, it is also true that they are the next hosts and they couldn't have risked skipping these Games." The official said that Fennel met cabinet secretary K. M. Chandrashekhar on Friday and the two reportedly discussed the lastminute preparations for the Games. "There has been considerable speculation about Fennell's meeting with the PM," he said. " But that is unlikely to happen. Fennell wrote to the cabinet secretary after which all hell broke loose and things moved fast forward." On Friday, Commonwealth Games England's chef de mission Craig Hunter gave the thumbs up to the arrangements and said India was gearing up for the event.
"It's a great Games Village. The venues are absolutely world-class. We are looking at getting the rest of the team out there and have a great Commonwealth Games," Hunter said.
UK sports minister Hugh Robertson spoke with his Indian counterpart M. S. Gill and assured him England was committed to the Games. Robertson reportedly confirmed that England's participation was also encouraged by British Prime Minister David Cameron. CWG officials said the Canadian contingent, which screamed blue murder over the filth in the Village, was scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Friday night. " This will be a big boost for the Games," an official said.
Not that the day was entirely without any hiccups. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates said India should never have been awarded the hosting rights.
"Delhi is racing against time to be ready for the Games after several missed deadlines," he said.
But International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said he hoped India could come through just as Greek organisers overcame doomsday scenarios to stage the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

False hopes for CWG?

False ceiling at Nehru stadium collapses
22 Sep 2010, 1350 hrs IST, AGENCIES
The embarrassment for the Commonwealth Games Organising committee just does not seem to abate. A day before the delegates arrive for the Commonwealth Games another embarrasment for the CWG A false ceiling at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium collapsed on Wednesday (September 22).

This latest incident comes less than 24 hours after a foot over bridge collapsed on Tuesday at the same venue. 
On Wednesday (September 22) the false ceiling of the weightlifting venue (above) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium collapsed. This is the same venue, which recently had a water logging problem when Delhi received some heavy rains. Reacting to the incident, Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrashekhar said the false ceiling collapsing was 'not a big issue'.
 He added that, "The cables which were to be set up for the data network were placed on the false ceiling and due to the weight of the cables the ceiling fell off. It's a minor thing and it will be corrected. It's not a matter to be worried about." 
Chandrashekhar went on to claim that all main venues as well as practice venues and also the games village were ready for use. He said, "We have put in place a damage control exercise. There have been some complaints about the residential rooms. We have asked the LT General to set up a meeting and look into it." 
However, the Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper has washed his hands off the CWG mess.Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW, Hooper has said that he wasn't concerned about CWG's day to day affairs.

Full alert for CWG

Complete lockdown of Games village, venues from tonight


New Delhi:  Commonwealth Games venues and Athletes Village will have a complete lockdown from midnight on Wednesday with entry to be allowed only to those carrying valid passes.A large number of armed policemen, including paramilitary personnel, have been deployed across the stadia and village. Sophisticated gadgets have also been installed at the stadia.\
"The lockdown will start from this midnight," a senior police official said.
The security has been stepped up across the city after Sunday's firing incident at Jama Masjid that injured two Taiwanese nationals.
Delhi Police, which is the nodal agency for Games security, have conducted various drills, including anti-sabotage checks once they take over possession of the venues, the official said.
Apart from around 80,000 Delhi Police personnel, over 17,500 paramilitary personnel, 3,000 commandos and 100 anti-sabotage check teams will be deployed across the city. The army has been asked to be alert.
Concerns were earlier raised about the delay in handing over venues to security agencies as some quarters felt that it would hamper the security preparations.
Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal, however, had downplayed the delay and said the force was prepared to handle the security issues related to the sporting extravaganza.
"We know the stadia and surrounding areas. We know the city very well. So securing them or other areas will not be a problem," Dadwal had said when asked whether the delay in completion of Games projects was compromising security preparedness.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram also reviewed the arrangements.
Heli-borne snipers, four-layered security cordon around Commonwealth Games venues and exclusive lanes for Games vehicles were among the components of the mammoth security plan for the event.
The security plan prepared for the mega event, which will see participation of around 8,500 athletes from 71 countries competing in 17 events, also envisages snipers on rooftops, commando hit teams and expert groups to tackle any chemical, biological, radio-active or nuclear attacks.
Air Force will provide surveillance from the skies. Heli-borne assault teams will also be deployed to thwart any terror strikes.
"We are closely working with central Intelligence agencies. The Air Force will be surveying the airspace. We will have heli-borne snipers patrolling the skies," the official said.
According to the plan, the venues, Games Village, practice and parking lots and the Indira Gandhi International Airport where athletes arrive will have a four-layered security cordon.
At the outer cordon, the traffic will be stopped and access controlled. At the middle cordon, security-men will channelise the spectators to their designated seats while in the inner cordon, barcode reading of tickets will take place and spectators' photographs taken.
At the centre would be an exclusion zone which is in the 30-m-radius of the stadium, where spectators and others will have to go through door-frame metal detectors and X-ray scanning besides manual searching.
Mobile Quick Reaction teams will be deployed on the outer perimeter of the venues besides a close watch through CCTV surveillance.
The Games village will also have a similar elaborate security arrangement. The boundary of the village will have a three metre high perimeter wall, a 1.5-m-high iron grill on top of it, mobile QRTs and CCTV surveillance system.
Elaborate arrangements are also made for the entry for athletes and vehicles into the village. After entering the village following a thorough check, the athletes can freely move around the residential and dining halls.
For vehicles, the drivers will have to pass through radio frequency identity checking where the number plates are checked to see whether are authorised to enter the place.
There is a boom barrier and it will be opened only after the vehicle clears the radio frequency checking. But if somebody tries to forcefully enter, there will be a tyre-killer and even if the vehicle clears it, the road blocker will block the passage of the vehicle.
At the hotels, there will be "robust" security arrangements with watch towers, CCTV surveillance and access control.
"All food prepared and served for Games guests in hotels will be sorted by security personnel and tasted by food experts," the official said.
With large number of athletes, officials and tourists reaching the city for the Games, security at and around the Indira Gandhi International Airport is also being augmented.
Anti-sabotage teams, commando hit teams and snipers at rooftop are some of the other components of the security plan for the safe journey of athletes and other officials.
On the movement of athletes and other officials to the venues, the official said commandos will be deployed on buses they travel.
Police has also procured three armoured cars ahead of the Games and these vehicles will move around the city and sometimes will be stationed at the venues during the Games. Each carrying 30 commandos, the armoured vehicles will be deployed to tackle eventualities like terror strikes.
For the Games, Delhi Police personnel are also being specially trained in frisking, search operations and screening baggage through X-ray machines. Special training on enhancing communication skills and behavioural patterns are also being imparted.

Beauty and the Beast

Jawaharlal Nehru stadium (guardian.co.uk)

No insurance cover for CWG athletes yet


More on CWG mess: No terror cover for athletes yet

Delhi CWG 2010


New Delhi, Sep 21: Adding to the worrisome atmosphere of India's lack of preparedness for the Commonwealth Games 2010, Delhi Games organisers are yet to obtain a terror insurance cover for the 9,000 athletes.
With the Games just 12 days away, it is now not going to be an easy task for the organisers to finish acquiring the insurance covers especially after the reinsurer Llyod's Syndicate on Monday, Sep 20 withdrew following the Sunday, Sep 19 Jama Masjid firing, in which two Taiwanese were shot and injured.
"The reinsurer withdrew the terror cover to the Games. Right now there is no event-cancellation cover due to natural calamity, as we will have to renegotiate terms with the reinsurer to work out a new policy," said Akhilesh Jain, the Vice-Chairman of Trinity Group, which has to arrange for insurance cover of the CWG.
The Organising Committee (OC), which is now facing fire over the sorry state of Games Village and infrastructure, had sought an insurance cover of Rs 750 crore in the event of cancellation of the CWG.
The cover, if acquired, would compensate for any loss arising from cancellation due to a natural calamity, like earthquake, floods or riot, and terror attacks.

OneIndia News

The Games must still go on!

Does this look ready to you? Chaos in run-up to Commonwealth Games

A collapsed bridge, rooms 'unfit for habitation' and now top athletes pulling out. Will the Games in Delhi go ahead.
  • Jason Burke

    • The Guardian, Wednesday 22 September 2010
Indian workers stand at the scene of bridge collapse near Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi 
Indian workers stand at the scene of bridge collapse near Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi, India. Photograph: Anupam Nath/AP 
 The white plastic canopy stretched over the reconditioned terraces glowed purple and red. Fresh paint gleamed in the late monsoon rain. The air conditioning and mobile toilets were "first class", said workers. But the crowd outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in central Delhi were not there to admire the venue that will host the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in less than two weeks time. They were there to gawp at twisted wreckage – the evidence of the latest disaster to hit the troubled event.
This was billed as the moment when India would stride proudly out on to the world stage. But today saw the 19th Commonwealth Games sinking only further into chaos and recrimination.
It had already been a bad day for the event, even before 23 labourers were injured when a crucial bridge linking the athletes' car park to the main stadium collapsed in the early afternoon. Officials arriving ahead of overseas teams had found rooms in the £150m games village on the outskirts of this city of 17 million people to be "unsafe and unfit for human habitation". This despite the fact that the village is due to open on Thursday.
Some rooms had been flooded out by monsoon rains. In others showers, air conditioning and electrical sockets were not working, while toilets were described as "filthy". With local press reporting that only 18 of the 34 accommodation blocks were complete, team leaders from England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia and Canada all expressed shock and concern.
Craig Hunter, England's chef de mission, revealed he was calling for safety assurances from the organisers. "It's hard to cancel an event of this magnitude but we are close to the wire, and teams may start to take things into their own hands," he told the Press Association. "Athletes will start getting on planes soon and decisions will have to be made. We need new levels of reassurance."
Some even threw doubt on whether the games could go ahead. New Zealand's chef de mission, Dave Currie, said: "The way things are looking, iIt's not up to scratch. The reality is that if the village is not ready and athletes can't come, the implications are that it's not going to happen." The Commonwealth Games Federation president, Michael Fennell, described the whole two-week event as "seriously compromised".
His words came as little surprise to observers. The list of problems has lengthened over recent weeks to include corruption scandals, huge cost overruns, shoddy construction that means completed facilities with leaky roofs or subsiding floors. International sports events in any country routinely attract negative press in the runup – see the fuss in South Africa earlier this year – only for the warnings to come to nothing.
But on this occasion it is likely that many projects will simply not be finished at all. The problems are manifest. Holes dug ubiquitously in an effort to "beautify" the Indian capital – millions of pot plants were to be planted – have contributed to an outbreak of dengue fever. The holes were left unfilled, stagnant water collected and mosquitos bred in their millions.
India's weightlifting team has been hit by a doping scandal. Sponsors have pulled out. There is no sign of the hundreds of thousands of tourists expected to flow through the city's rebuilt airport, nor of the approach roads that were going to link its new £1.2bn terminal to the city. Top athletes – and the Queen – will be absent although Prince Charles said yesterday he would be attending. Only last night two top English athletes – Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, and 1500m runner Lisa Dobriskey pulled out of the games. Triple jumper Phillips Idowu also wrote on his Twitter page that he would not be going to Delhi, citing safety concerns although his agent said later that no firm decision had been made.
"It is quite simple: we have to hope for a miracle. Otherwise we are facing national disgrace," said Boria Majumdar, an Indian sports historian and author of Sellotape Legacy: Delhi and the Commonwealth Games. "The glare of the world's cameras is upon us."
The fears now are more serious than simply being left with piles of unsold vuvuzelas – tens of thousands have been produced – and mascots. Government officials are investigating allegations that safety certificates for some buildings were falsified to cover up the use of cheaper substandard materials.
One leading Delhi architect blamed a "lack of oversight" for the collapse of the bridge. "These are sensitive structures. They can be done in a hurry but they have to be done well. There has to be very close supervision," Kuldip Singh said as he joined those who avoided stick-wielding policemen to throng a road bridge with a view of the site of the collapse.
There are also concerns about a terrorist attack. Last weekend two tourists were wounded when their bus was attacked by gunmen in north Delhi. Extra security ordered for the games stadia has now been diverted to prominent tourist sites. How different this all looked earlier this year, when headlines in local newspapers about the games, won by Delhi in 2003, were universally positive.
Delhi was "adding world-class facilities and slick services" that would "leave visitors awestruck", said news magazine Outlook. The comparison with the 2008 Beijing Olympics, watched with jealousy and some respect in India, was, if not always explicit, evident. Some spoke of a possible Olympic bid for 2020. But as progressive deadlines have gone by and the problems have mounted, the media has turned on the event and on the administrators and politicians, many from the ruling Congress party. "If we had not given it to these nincompoops then we would not be as ashamed as we might be going to be," Outlook editor Vinod Mehta said.
"We just shouldn't have taken it on the Queen's not coming, nor are top athletes. It's a lose-lose situation. We've got better things to do."
The forced resettlement of more than 100,000 slum dwellers and the closure or demolition of schools seen as eyesores have also prompted criticism, as has the rising cost of the games. The event is now thought to be likely to cost around £2bn, up to 10 times some original estimates. Chetan Baghat, India's top-selling author with a huge youth following, called the event a "lootfest". "The CWG 2010 is, by far, the biggest and most blatant exercise in corruption in independent India's history," Baghat wrote in a recent editorial, "Not only have they stolen public money, they've made a mess of the job at hand."
Yet on the streets around Nehru stadium, little of the bitterness and scepticism was evident. Standing at the crowded bus stands, waiting for often decrepit, overcrowded buses, commuters unanimously voiced their support for the event and their country. "The games will definitely get India name and fame," said SK Najpal, a 58-year-old civil servant. "There are some hurdles, but don't worry. These foreign athletes should be less panicky. I have seen plague in Delhi and it didn't kill me. The games will be a big win for India."
Suggestions that the event might even be cancelled were met with blank astonishment. "That would be very, very, very upsetting," said 18-year-old Deepak Singh. For student Chandra Prarthana, the games were "a matter of pride" for India: "People think we are still a nation of snake charmers. We will have a good and successful games and the world will see our country as it really is."
Organising Committee vice-president Randhir Singh said there was "no problem" and described the buildings as "perfect". He added: "We still have two days for the teams to come and the situation will be under control.
"The buildings are perfect, they've all appreciated, and 24 hours is a long time and we will organise it."

Troubled games

South Africa World Cup There was an avalanche of conjecture about security, ticket sales, stadiums and transport. It reached a fever pitch around the time that the Togo team bus was attacked at the Africa Nations Cup, although organisers argued with some justification that there was no connection between the two eventsVisitor numbers were down as a result of perceived high prices and safety fears. With weeks to go, there was a last-minute push to sell tickets. As it was, the event was celebrated as a huge success within South Africa.
Athens Olympics With four years to go, a new organising committee was installed amid serious concerns from the IOC. In a manic race against time, major venues and infrastructure projects, including tram and road links that were well behind schedule, were only just completed in time. There was a spate of deaths among construction workers and a series of strikes threatened to cause chaos. In some cases, buildings was finished with just days to spare and competitors and spectators arrived to find landscaping and finishing touches still being applied.
Beijing Olympics With a year to go, IOC president Jacques Rogge suggested some events may have to be cancelled due to the poor air quality, while the torch relay that preceded the games was targeted by protesters. Now, the 2008 Games are chiefly remembered for their spectacular opening ceremony, the glut of golds for Team GB and the arrival of Usain Bolt on the world stage.
Vancouver Winter Olympics Just two days in, transport links were not working, a Georgian luge slider was killed and events were cancelled because there was too much snow and ice at some venues and not enough at others. But the infectious excitement in the host city at a string of Canadian medals and the warm welcome afforded spectators overcame those early concerns and the organisers were roundly praised at the end.

British Sport minister's support for CWG

Commonwealth Games 2010: 'utter tragedy' if Games do not take place, says Hugh Robertson

Sports minister Hugh Robertson has claimed it would be ''an utter tragedy'' if the Commonwealth Games do not go ahead in New Delhi next month but remains confident the event will take place.

Commonwealth Games 2010: 'utter tragedy' if Games do not take place, says Hugh Robertson
New blow: Indian security personnel work at the site of a collapsed pedestrian bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi Photo: REUTERS
Fears have been raised that the event, which has 6,500 athletes taking part, could have to be cancelled due to shocking conditions in the athletes' village that has left the facilities branded unfit for human habitation.
To make matters worse, a number of workers were hospitalised on Tuesday when a 100m-long bridge linking a car-park to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium - the main venue for the Games - collapsed while it was being completed.
The minister said: ''It would be an utter tragedy if anything went wrong at the last moment but I have had no indication that this will not go ahead and I expect it to do so.
''They need support and understanding and for people to back their Games, it is not helpful to just throw your hands in the air.
''We are clearly in a slightly fevered media environment and it's important that one takes a sensible and strategic long-term view.
''There is nothing that I have seen or heard that has suggested that these are problems that cannot be sorted out.
''I'm expecting that our teams will turn up in Delhi as announced and that the Games will go ahead as planned.''
Robertson said he remained confident that the Games would be remembered for the spectacle and sport rather than the problems with the preparations.
He added: ''I always suspected that this would come down quite close to the wire but I'm confident when we all get to Delhi they will lay on the most fantastic show.
''I will be very surprised and disappointed if we didn't all look back at two weeks of really good sport with Indian colour and excitement and vibrancy.
''For anyone like me who is lucky enough to be going I believe it will be a really memorable experience.''

There is still support for the CWG

Commonwealth Games 2010: 10 reasons why they should go ahead

Scotland and Wales get to have a go, India will go nuts – and you can't avoid it anyway
  • Barney Ronay
    • guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 September 2010 20.30 BST
Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg of Great Britain 
Commonwealth Games here we come! Rebecca Gallantree and Alicia Blagg are team-mates in the England diving team. Photograph: Zsolt Szigetvary/epa/Corbis

India really has made an effort

In the recent tradition of games hosted by developing nations eager to show they too can build fibreglass enormo-domes, India has thrown the kitchen sink at Delhi 2010. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium now has a roof coated in 53,800 sq m of Teflon and 4,000 labourers have worked around the clock. More controversially, a "beautification" programme has seen 100,000 homeless Delhi-ites relocated and tasteful bamboo screens erected around city slums. We can only hope they at least get to keep the bamboo screens.

It is already a nail-biter

The first big question of Delhi 2010 is: will Delhi 2010 actually take place? This week odds on the games being scrapped were cut to 4-1 after a new footbridge attached to the main stadium collapsed, injuring 23 people. This followed the announcement by Scottish team officials that the athletes' village is "unfit for human habitation" and an outbreak of Dengue fever. Don't listen to the bookies though. India is a mob-handed muddle-ocracy and these games – one way or another – are going to happen. Probably.

Scotland and Wales get to have a go

The games may reek of tiffin, punka-wallahs and fusty imperial anachronisms, but they are also a hothouse of devolution: only here do Scotland and Wales get the chance to win medals free from the yoke of the British flag – although not very many.

So do lots of other people

Also competing in Delhi are the Cook Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey and Tokelau, a dependency of New Zealand with a population of 1,500.

Get it while you can

This is an event that appears increasingly drained of vital signs, crowded out by the biannual World Championships and lucrative grand prix events. Among those absent are heptathlon star Jessica Ennis, cycling deities Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton and gym queen Beth Tweddle. Basically: if you've heard of them, they're not going to be there. The tide of history is against the Commonwealths, so enjoy it while it's here.

Fresh faces

The upside of which is we get the chance to garland some unlikely heroes. The English diving team will contain a 13-year-old schoolgirl called Alicia Blagg. And Scotland's swimming hopes are pinned on Hannah Miley, whose training regime, devised by her father, involves towing a large sponge around the pool. "He attaches a sponge to me," Miley explained recently. "It's just one of those jumbo sponges you wash your car with.'' This is truly the spirit of ingenuity that built a commonwealth.

India will go nuts . . .

. . . most likely, over shooter Abhinav Bindra, its first individual Olympic gold medallist in Beijing two years ago. Bindra's father, recalling his son's days as a child prodigy, said: "When he was five he would place a balloon on the head of his maid and shoot it." Normally the most sparsely attended of sports, shooting isn't going to know what's hit it.

The big one for bowls

This is the only stage where the flat-capped pursuit of rolling heavy balls along a very nice stretch of lawn attracts such headline status. Watch out too for netball and squash, plus – potentially in 2014 – snooker. At last: a games with real games.

You can't avoid it anyway

The BBC is currently planning to broadcast 1,800 hours of Commonwealth Games across its TV and web channels, the equivalent of 75 straight 24-hour days. At least 56 presenters and pundits have been despatched, including Huw Edwards, whose duties extend to "ceremonies". Looking forward to those, Huw.

Do it for the Queen

The Queen has stoically attended every Commonwealth Games of her reign except for 1966 in Jamaica. She is, however, set to miss Delhi just when suddenly it makes quite a lot of sense to go crawling back to our resurgent post-colonial would-be allies. Indian billionaire investors: you still have our support. At least, for 10 minutes or so during the highlights, before the squash starts.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

More woes for CWG with just less than two weeks!

View a special report by TIMESNOW.tv HERE

Commonwealth Games 2010 mess: Foot over-bridge at Nehru stadium collapses

Commonwealth Games 2010 mess: Foot over-bridge at Nehru stadium collapsesNew Delhi: It is Murphy's Law for the Commonwealth Games. Whatever can go wrong is going wrong. With security worries at an all-time high after Sunday's attack on two foreign tourists, Tuesday brought worse news for the organisers.

With just 12 days to go for the Games, a new foot over-bridge near the main venue of the Games, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, collapsed, injuring 23 labourers, five of them critically.
"The over-bridge collapsed as the pins not secured properly," said Raj Kumar Chauhan, PWD Minister, Delhi. 

The location couldn't have been more inappropriate for the Games, as the over-bridge collapsed at the doorstep of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies are to be held.











'Filthy' Games Village: Hooper wants Indian govt to intervene

'Filthy' Games Village: Hooper wants Indian govt to interveneNew Delhi: Piling on the embarrassment for the organisers, Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive Mike Hooper on Tuesday termed the Athletes Village as "filthy and uninhabitable" but hoped that with CGF President Michael Fennell's intervention, the mess would be sorted out in the next two days.
"Predominantly the issue is of cleanliness of the towers in the residential zone. The matter came to our attention when we paid a preliminary visit to the Games Village on September 15 along with some representatives of the advanced parties of Commonwealth Games Associations (CGA)," Hooper told reporters at a press conference here.
"Ever since Sep 15, we along with CGAs met on daily basis. We also held meetings with OC officials and emphasised the importance of addressing the issue of cleanliness of the Village, which I have to say in many towers are filthy and uninhabitable as stated by Mr Fennel," he added.
Hooper's comments came after an advanced party from New Zealand, Canada, Scotland and Ireland raised serious concerns regarding the hygiene in the residential zone of the Games Village.

No sooner it came to light, CGF President Fennell came out with a strongly-worded statement, wherein he criticised the Organising Committee for the mess and said he had written to the Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, expressing his concerns about the athletes accommodation.
Hooper, however, hoped that with Fennell's intervention the matter would be resolved at the earliest."As a consequence of that, I informed the matter to Mr Fennel and he took up the matter with higher authorities in India. Basically, we needed to elevate this matter further to ensure the athletes get what they deserve, which is a Village that provides them the best-possible environment to prepare for the Games," he said. 
"Hopefully, with Mr Fennell's intervention, asking for direct intervention from the Indian government, the problem will be fixed. Hopefully, we will see some significant action and progress in the next two days.
"(OC chairman) Mr (Suresh) Kalmadi told me that the Cabinet Secretary was at the Village this morning. It shows that clearly he has taken the matter extremely seriously," Hooper added.
With just 12 days to go for the October 3-14 mega-event, the CGF CEO said the incident did not come as a positive advertisement for the Games, the countdown to which has been marred by corruption allegations and construction delays.
"It would be fair to say that we are extremely disappointed to find ourselves in the situation we are in right now with only two days before the athletes start arriving," Hooper said.
"We were given promises that these would be remedied by September 19. It is fair to say that there was some progress but it is certainly insufficient to satisfy the majority of CGAs who are currently here."
Hooper also said the CGF stands by its statement that the international zone of the Village, which was soft launched last week, is of world class standard.
"I stand by my statement that the international zone is fantastic. It has got a lot of accolades from different CGA members.
"But what we said in relation to the Village was that it has the potential to be the best Village we ever had," he added.


Main Press Centre

Commonwealth Games: work on maidan apace
Priscilla Jebaraj
Delays caused by rain: Press Information Bureau

Better organisation of press centre's workforce needed
Security personnel to escort, ensure safety to athletes

— Photo: PTI

Games are on:Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni with Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi at the Media Centre for Commonwealth Games 2010 during its inauguration at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on Monday.
NEW DELHI: Rows of flat screen computers, well-equipped workstations, wi-fi and broadband, high definition TV screens mounted on colourful walls, and a swanky press conference room — at first glance, the Commonwealth Games press centre at Pragati Maidan lives up to its “world-class” promise.
Take one step outside, and it's a different story. Construction workers and machines race against time to finish building the food court, lay access roads, tile pavements and install outdoor lighting.
Piles of gravel and equipment lie sprawled in the mud, even as more digging throws up fresh debris.
Workers are frantically patting patches of lawn grass into place just two steps away from the main door, where Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and the Games' Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi cut the ribbon to inaugurate the press centre on Monday. An International Broadcast Centre was also inaugurated.
“The rain over the last few days has caused delays. We expect the work to be completed soon,” says Neelam Kapoor, who heads the Press Information Bureau. Additional work also needs to be done to ensure better training for the press centre's workforce — which includes professionals, media students and volunteers — and better organisation of press conferences.
Monday's inaugural press briefing was delayed by two hours, even after journalists arrived an hour early to get passes and enter the Pragati Maidan compound. Volunteers were clueless about the details of the delay, simply repeating: “It will start in ten to fifteen minutes. Please be patient.”
During the registration for passes, which were limited to two per newspaper or channel, one bemused freelance reporter was told, “Sir, I'm sorry, but we already have two people from Freelance. I cannot register you.”
Several journalists were also frustrated by the lack of drinking water at the press conference room during the long delay.
No pull-outs
When finally addressing the press, Mr. Kalmadi made it clear that India would ensure the safety of all athletes and officials during the Games, in the wake of Sunday's firing incident at the Jama Masjid.
“I have not got a single call from any Commonwealth country expressing apprehensions about security. This [firing] was not a Games-related incident…It's not major,” he said.
“As of today, all the 71 Commonwealth countries are coming for the Games,” he added, dismissing fears that nations would pull out citing security reasons.
Apart from the Home Ministry and Delhi Police, National Security Guard commando units are also being deployed, while an International Security Liaison office will be set up in a city hotel.
“We have taken all steps to ensure the safety of the athletes. The athletes would be escorted by security personnel right from the airport to the team hotel to the competition venues,” he said.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Shooting not by organised terror group, says Delhi Police

 No terror angle in Jama Masjid incidents: Police
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police does not suspect the role of any organised terror group behind today's shooting incident near the historic Jama Masjid and the explosion of a pressure cooker bomb inside a car in the same area in a span of two hours. 
Investigators suspect that disgruntled youths or a gang of local criminals could be behind the incidents. The motive appears to be to scare people ahead of the Commonwealth Games, they say, adding the attacks do not show signs of the involvement of terrorist outfits like Indian Mujahideen. 
The city police is also not giving much credence to the email sent to media houses purportedly by outlawed Indian Mujahideen as "its content and timing were not matching" with the incidents
There were "no specific target or specific reasons" for the attacks and they do not find any reason to believe that an organised terror outfit was behind the incidents which left two Taiwanese nationals injured, Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.


Two men had opened random fire outside the Jama Masjid Gate No 3 injuring the Taiwanese nationals at around 11:10 am while two hours later a Maruti car went up in flames after a "poorly circuited and crudely assembled" pressure cooker bomb exploded. 
"The signatures of the attacks do not show that an organised terror organisation like Indian Mujahideen is involved. If you see pressure cooker which was used to explode the car, it was poorly circuited and crudely assembled," a senior police official said. 
He also said there was no reason to target Taiwanese as they were not in news for any wrong reasons. 
"If it was done by some terrorists, it would have targeted the police station or the Masjid itself. We feel that it is a handiwork of disgruntled youths of the area or local criminal gang," the official said. Police have detained some local criminals of the area and are questioning them. 
Investigators are also collecting details from Salim, a rickshaw puller, who claimed to have
witnessed the firing and gave a chase to the attackers along with Constable Pramod who is posted at Jama Masjid. 



Worst Security Fears for CWG becomes a reality

Two foreigners injured in firing near Jama Masjid in Delhi


NEW DELHI: Raising security concerns ahead of the Commonwealth Games, two men on a motorbike fired several rounds on a tourist vehicle near the historic Jama Masjid in the walled city, injuring two Taiwanese nationals. 
A red alert has been sounded across the capital after the incident in which the two bikers are said to have fired 7-8 rounds on the stationary vehicle adjacent to gate number three of the mosque and 100 metres away from the house of Shahi Imam Ahmed Bukhari at around 11.30 am. 
The two injured, who are from Taiwan, were taken to nearby government Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital in the same bus. Their condition is stated to be stable. One of them was injured when a bullet grazed his head while another was hit in the abdomen and is being operated, LNJP Hospital Medical Superintendent Amit Banerjee said. 
Delhi Police Joint Commissioner Karnail Singh told reporters that the four cartridges recovered from the spot showed that the weapon used could be .38 calibre revolver. 
But the rounds of fire recovered were also of 9 mm, which can be used in pistol or carbine, he said refusing to hazard a guess on the motive of the attackers. "We are looking into all angles and we cannot jump to conclusions," he said. 
"A red alert has been sounded and we are conducting checks at various points. We are confident of nabbing the culprits soon," the Joint CP said. He said the area constable tried to give a chase to the attackers but they fled on their motorcycle. 
Meanwhile, a blue Maruti 800 car caught fire near the Jama Masjid area, just hours after the firing incident, causing panic in the area. The flames were doused by the locals and fire tenders from the Delhi Fire Service. Police are not ruling out the connection between the two incidents. A team of experts are investigating the cause of the fire and the possibility of explosives in the pressure cookers said to have been found inside the car. 
Police have identified a man called Bobby Sharma as the owner of the car. The owner, however, said that he had no idea how his vehicle was found near the Jama Masjid area as he had parked it somewhere else. 
Police have also not taken any chances of the presence of explosives in vehicles parked outside the Jama Masjid police station. A bomb disposal squad has been sent to check the vehicles in the area. 
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said the incident is sad and worrying but said there was nothing to panic. "I am in constant touch with the Police Commissioner. The police are investigating into the incident and culprits will be caught. Everything is under control." She said there is nothing to worry about healthwise in the case of the two injured.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Media these days!

This story in The Malay Mail today first appeared here (Level Field) on Sept 4.
This scribe had actually assisted the newspaper (who wanted to do a story too) to contact Rosmanizam for their story today.
However, the newspaper, did not see it fit to mention the original author of the story nor where it appeared first.
But this blog is happy that Rosmanizam's story has now been read by 100,000 people (as The Malay Mail prints 100,000 copies daily!).
Maybe the newspaper will now follow up to get an award for Rosmanizam, under the many 1Malaysia programmes and awards that is floating around.
Rosmanizam's needs to be saluted for what he practices and it will be a  crying shame if his story just dies as a good feeling read! 
Over to you Malay Mail!


 

 

1 man, 3 names, all Malaysian

Thursday, September 16th, 2010 12:18:00

PETALING JAYA: Living in harmony among different cultures and religions is the way forward for Malaysia and her various races. But to have three names from three different cultures represented in one man, now that’s really something!
Meet Rosmanizam Abdullah @K.T. Rajah @Ang Teck Lee (above) who has all three names on his MyKad.
Born on May 25, 1960, in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, this assistant editor at Utusan Malaysia was the only child of K.T. Gopal, a Malayalee from Thrissur, Kerala in India and Ang Mek Choo of the Hokkien community in Tanah Merah.
"I was given the name K.T. Rajah when I was a week old," said Rosmanizam, 50, also assistant treasurer Olympic Council of Malaysia.
1Malaysia man
MUMMY DEAREST: Rosmanizam's sons with their late grandmother at the Tanah Merah family house during Chinese New Year this year
When he was younger, Rosmanizam fell ill and his mother believed a Chinese name would ward off evil spirits. He was sent to be cared for by his fourth uncle, Ang Kok Soon. “That was when my second name Ang Teck Lee was given to me. People still ask how I was able to inherit my mother’s Chinese surname. What happened was that I was adopted by my uncle.”
During primary school, Rosmanizam’s father encouraged him to learn Jawi, believing that it was essential for employment in the future.
When another uncle, Dr Ang Kok Jee, moved to Malacca, Rosmanizam followed and was enrolled at St David's High School there.
He continued to learn Jawi and received his third name after converting to Islam at age 17.
“My parents learned about my embracing Islam a year after and they respected my decision.”
1Malaysia man
BACK TO HIS ROOTS: Rosmanizam and wife (second from right) in Kerala recently
A father of seven children from two marriages, Rosmanizam said one's roots should not take a back seat while chasing ambitions, and had visited his father's family and relatives in Kerala several times since the 1980s. "I still send 450 rupees every month to my relatives in India for maintenance of the family house. After visiting them on several occasions, they are a part of me as I am a part of their lives," he said.
"As for my family, Chinese culture still runs strong in our blood. Much of the culture has made me who I am today. Even my children can speak fluent Hokkien."
Rosmanizam took up journalism when he joined Berita Harian in 1979 covering news and sports until 1991 when he moved to Utusan Malaysia.
1Malaysia man
PROUD FATHER: Rosmanizam with his daughters Shaznira Lee-Ann (left) and Shahin Choo-Liyana in Tanah Merah

Those into cricket would know that Rosmanizam was instrumental in reviving the Malaysian Malays Cricket Association in 1992, for which he continues to serve as general-secretary.
"I believe sports is where race and religion do not matter," said Rosmanizam.
He was also the recipient of the National Sports Leadership Award 2004.
Looking ahead, he said he plans to help Chinese youth in Kelantan as he sees a bright future for them in table tennis.
"Table tennis is a sport where height is not an advantage. It will be interesting to see how far Malaysians can progress in this sport at an international level."