Even media centres at Games venues not ready

With just 39 days to go, another crucial aspect of the Games — setting up of well-furnished media centres at some of the 17 sporting venues — is yet to take off. Moushumi Das Gupta reports.

It is not just the delay in completion of Games venues that is giving sleepless night to the organisers of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

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With just 39 days to go, another crucial aspect of the Games — setting up of well-furnished media centres at some of the 17 sporting venues — is yet to take off. The Organising Committee (OC) expects 1,800 to 2,000 national and international journalists to cover the Games in the Capital.

Concerned over the delay, officials from the government's publicity department, Press Information Bureau (PIB) met the Games Organising Committee CEO, Jarnail Singh on Saturday.

The officials asked Singh to expedite the process of setting up the venue media centres as well as completing all formalities for accreditation of journalists. PIB, which is setting up the Main Press Centre for the media at Pragati Maidan, will be manning the venue media centres as well.

The committee is yet to invite international media for a preview of the Games preparations; neither have they held a press briefing of the national and international media.

Lalit Bhanot, OC spokesperson said: "We are finalising the date for organising the press briefing. It has not been decided as yet."

The OC could do well to learn a lesson or two from Guangzhou in China, which is hosting the 16th Asian Games between November 12 and 27.

The official website for the Asian Games mentions that not only the media accreditation process was closed on July 31 — three-and-a-half months before the event start — but they have already organised two press briefing for domestic and international media.

"It's a matter of concern as majority of the media centres at the Games venues is yet to be readied. After setting up the Centres the OC will have to test the facilities also. This takes time. The international media would start coming in by mid September," said an official.

Bhanot said: "We have already got all the overlays like furniture, etc. for the media centres. We will soon set them up. Everything will be ready in time."

PIB will start testing the facilities at the Main Press Centre from September 1. It will become operational from September 23.