Fennell rejects all OC demands, Kalmadi stays firm

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) rejects Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi calls for CGF chief executive Mike Hooper’s ouster. However, Kalmadi refuses to give up saying he would raise it with federation president Mike Fennell when the two meet in London later this month. Indraneel Das reports. Bitter Showdown

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive Mike Hooper will not be pulled out of Delhi no matter how useless he is according to the authorities here.

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Hooper got the full support of his boss, federation president Mike Fennell, on Friday, who called him an “outstanding chief executive”.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the committee spearheading preparations, had demanded Hooper’s ouster on Thursday saying he was “useless”.

"Mr Hooper enjoys the full support of the CGF’s executive board, and … he is an outstanding chief executive,” Fennell said.

Kalmadi’s second demand – not to send a committee of foreign experts to help with preparations – was also rejected.

But Kalmadi refused to give up. He said he would raise it with Fennell when the two meet in London later this month.

Hooper was sent to Delhi two years ago. But Kalmadi said he was of no help but an "impediment in the committee’s functioning”. Part of Hooper’s job was to keep Fennell and the federation informed of the progress in Delhi, making him unpopular with the organisers.

But he was not intimidated. "I will follow my Executive Board’s decision and see that whatever they have recommended is implemented. I will definitely see that the Technical Review Panel is formed.”

It is the same panel that Kalmadi wants scrapped.