Friday, July 30, 2010

What is venue readiness?


Sports Minister claims 16 of 18 CWG venues complete
 New Delhi, Jul 29 (PTI) The continuing construction work might present a grim picture but Sports Minister M S Gill today asserted in the Parliament that 16 of the 18 venues for the Commonwealth Games are "complete".
Replying to a question, Gill said, "Most of the sports venues have been completed and Test events held. The remaining are in advanced stage of completion and will be completed well in time for the Games. An amount of Rs 4460 crore has been approved for upgradation/renovation/creation of sports infrastructure."
Gill also gave a status report on the venues preparedness and except for the Yamuna Sports Complex (Table Tennis arena) and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Weightlifting complex), all the other venues had completed written against their status.

Level Field says: What is venue readiness? In layman terms and Media understanding, it is that the venue is fully ready for the full facilities at the venue to be used for competition. However, here in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games, venue readiness means when the venue owners (Government agencies) hand over the venue after their contractors have completed the venue (actually field of play) to the Organising Committee (OC) of the Commonwealth Games. However, when the venues are handed over and inaugurated, the over-lays (all vicinity surrounding the venue) are not in place. This is the responsibility of the OC through their appointed contractors to get it ready. This is where the problem has risen, where the overlays have not been completed as the venues were just handed over, but the Media invited for inauguration of the venue or Test events. With debris strewn all over outside the Stadium, roads not laid and landscape not  ready, naturally the Media highlight these as shortcomings and say that the venue is not ready.
In all fairness to the OC, it is only a matter of time before the venues - which are indeed state-of-the art stadiums (minus the little damage caused by the rainy season) - will be fully ready - maybe a little late than scheduled - but nevertheless in time for the Games in October.

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