Final Admission

Kalmadi, Fennell accept responsibility for shoddy CWG preparation

ITGD Bureau

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 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.

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

ITGD Bureau New Delhi, September 25, 2010

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.