Lawmakers urge progress on CW games venue

Venues being built by private agencies are expected to be ready only by the end of 2009 or mid 2010.

Indian lawmakers are concerned that the slow progress in building venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games could affect the preparations of the home athletes.

A parliamentary committee on human resource development has called for completion, on schedule, of the venues for India’s first major Games since they staged the 1982 Asian Games.

New venues being built by private agencies and those being renovated are expected to be ready only by the end of 2009 or by mid 2010. The Games are due to take place in New Delhi in October 2010.

Story continues below this ad

“There is already a confusion prevailing about our preparedness for the games and a delayed completion may create problems at the last moment,” the panel said on Wednesday.

Although organisers have been criticised for tardy progress, organising committee Chief Suresh Kalmadi has said the work would be completed by end of 2009.

“The committee is of the view the schedule for completion of different venues will adversely affect preparation of our national teams.

“The committee urges upon the (sports) ministry to prepare the venues within the scheduled target so that our players get some exposure on these venues before the games.