SECURITY A MAJOR CONCERN FOR 2010 DELHI GAMES, SAYS KALMADI

P. VIJIAN

NEW DELHI, May 20 (Bernama) -- With 500 days to go for the 2010 Delhi
Commonwealth Games, organisers are concerned with providing security for
the participating nations.

"Security aspects will be the most important during the games and we have to
provide fool proof security during the games," organising committee chairman
Suresh Kalmadi told reporters in Delhi.

"The biggest worry will be security and the organising committee will have
to satisfy all Commonwealth member countries of its efficiency," he added.

The Indian officials are wary of the security environment for the games and
currently chalking out high-level security plans for one of the largest
sporting events, after the Olympics.

Kalmadi said Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Tejenra Khanna and the city police
were entrusted to deal with security and officials had visited Beijing during
the last Olympic Games to get a feel of the security arrangements made by the
Chinese government.

Despite reported delays, he also assured that all infrastructure would be
ready before the games.


"42 percent of work has been completed and we are on schedule," said Kalmadi
who was confident of the March 2010 deadline to wrap up works.

In November, representatives of all 71 commonwealth countries will visit
Delhi to evaluate the preparations progress.

Some 8,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Delhi Commonwealth
Games to be held from Oct 3-14.

Delhi are the second Asian city to host the Commonwealth Games after
Malaysia had hosted it in 1998.

--BERNAMA