Athletes’ preparation on track: Kalmadi

Suresh Kalmadi, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman, iterated that most venues would meet the December deadline. And not just the infrastructure, he said even the athletes would be ready to deliver, reports Sahil Sharma.

Suresh Kalmadi, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman, iterated that most venues would meet the December deadline. And not just the infrastructure, he said even the athletes would be ready to deliver.

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Speaking to reporters during a visit to the Games Village, Kalmadi, said: “We will be ready for the Games well in time. Even those venues, which have been delayed due to various reasons, will finish by March 2010. Not just the venues would be of world class standards, even our athletes would come up with outstanding results.”

Kalmadi said preparation of the athletes was on course. “The government has provided a sum of Rs 700 crore for training and we will make full use of it. The preparation has already started and I am hopeful this time we will be among the top nations at the Games. We topped the medals tally during the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune and we are confident the seniors will perform equally well next year.”

On whether the postponement of the National Games in Jharkhand has put India into a bad light, Kalmadi said: “It is a different issue. The one major reason for its postponement was the state politics of Jharkhand. The Commonwealth Games is a global event and we won't leave a stone unturned for its preparation.”