Vivian Richards bats for Antigua and Berbuda at CWG

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

West Indian batting legend Sir Vivian Richards is batting for the twin-island nation - Antigua and Berbuda - at the ongoing Commonwealth Games here giving"pep talk"to the 19-athlete strong squad.

A nightmare for bowlers during his playing days, Richards is Antigua and Berbuda national team&aposs ambassador and mentor.

"Richards is accompanying the team as a mentor and motivator. He will be here till the end of the Commonwealth Games and will be motivating the Antiguan athletes. He will be giving them pep talks during events,"a team official said.

This is not the first time that Richards is accompanying the national contingent of the country, an island lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912262/sports/5/92/5/poi

Another huge loss for India in Netball

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

India&aposs eves today suffered their second successive defeat going down to Malawi 26-82 in the netball event of the Commonwealth Games being held at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex here.

India faulted both in attack as well as defence managing to score few goals and allowed Malawian Queens too many scoring opportunities.

Malawi&aposs attacking pair comprising of Mary and Mwayi used direct long feeds to good effect scoring 22 and 24 goals respectively in the first two quarters.

Even with the home crowd egging them on, the Indians could not penetrate through the Queens&aposdefence. The only bright spot in the otherwise poor performance was shooter Kiranjeet Kaur whose trademark lay-up shot resulted in a few goals.

The home team salavaged some pride in the final quarter scoring nine goals.

The heavy loss has ensured that India remained at the bottom of the group table with an embarrassing point difference of -151.

"It went better than yesterday, we lack experience and Malawi are ranked in the top six. They are a good team that played well, we made a few mistakes but if we had played like we did in the last quarter it would have been better,"Indian coach Panchali Tatke said while summing up the team&aposs performance.


Source  :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912148/sports/5/92/5/poi

England's Folwell wins men's gymnastics all-around gold

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

England took gold and silver in the Commonwealth Games men&aposs individual all-around gymnastics today, with Luke Folwell leading Reiss Beckford, ahead of Australia&aposs Joshua Jefferis in third.

Folwell, 23, from Cambridgeshire, scored 85.550 points with Beckford on 85.450 and Jefferis on 84.750
Folwell, a bronze team medallist in Melbourne four years ago, took the lead after four of the six rotations and stayed on top to go one better than the silver medal he won on Monday in the team event.

Australia missed out on gold having won both the men&aposs and women&aposs team events.


Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912108/sports/5/92/5/poi

Renu Bala gives India first gold in weightlifting

New Delhi (06 October,2010) , (India Report)

Renu Bala Chanu gave India its first gold medal in Commonwealth Games weightlifting event after finishing on top in women&aposs 58-kg category here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium sports complex today.

Renu Bala outshone all her competitors as she smoothly lifted all the weights before failing in her last attempt of 103 kgs in clean and jerk event, but by then she had already pocketed the No. 1 position
And although Sean Lee of Australia tried to come close to her but she had to be satisfied with a silver medal, while Zoe Smith of England took bronze.

Renu Bala looked comfortable from the very beginning. She ended the snatch event with a highest lift of 90 kgs that made her set a new Commonwealth Games record.

Ciana Agricole with 87 kgs after the snatch event was placed second but she ultimately finished fourth.
Then in the clean and jerk category, Renu Bala lifted 104 kgs in her very first attempt, and followed it up by 107 kgs to make it a total of 197.

Lee, who with her successful lift of 106 in her second attempt in clean and jerk plus her 86 kgs lift in snatch event, acquired a total of 192.

In her final lift, she opted for 111 kgs to pose some challenge to India but she failed. And that automatically handed Renu Bala the yellow medal.

Renu Bala, on her part made an attempt to lift 113 kgs in her third and the final chance but she could not.
The bronze medallist Zoe Smith, meanwhile ended with a total of 188 kgs.


Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912147/sports/5/92/5/poi

Commonwealth Games meaningless: Olympian Aslam Sher Khan

Indore, Oct 6 (India Report)

Terming the ongoing Delhi Commonwealth Games as"meaningless", former Olympian Aslam Sher Khan today said that a probe should be initiated against those, whose names have figured in the alleged scams associated with the event.

"After October 14, when the Games end, a probe should be initiated against those corrupt leaders and officials associated with the Games. They should be tried in the court of law and details of each and every paisa spent by them should be extracted,"the former hockey player told PTI here.

Khan, who is also a former Congress MP, said there was no point in hosting the Games as they were"meaningless".

"The Games are the symbol of British rule and success in it is not even considered for qualifying in Olympics or other international events,"he said.

"It would have been better if the money spent on organising these Games were invested on the development of sports and players or for the benefit of children,"he added.

He, however, congratulated the medal winners in the current games.

"These players should be complimented as they have come forward on their own and not because of office bearers of the various sports federations, who are making life difficult for emerging talent,"Khan said adding that such administrators had no right to take responsibility of organising sport events and putting the nation under financial strain.


Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912132/sports/5/92/5/poi

England's Folwell wins men's gymnastics all-around gold

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

England took gold and silver in the Commonwealth Games men&aposs individual all-around gymnastics today, with Luke Folwell leading Reiss Beckford, ahead of Australia&aposs Joshua Jefferis in third.

Folwell, 23, from Cambridgeshire, scored 85.550 points with Beckford on 85.450 and Jefferis on 84.750
Folwell, a bronze team medallist in Melbourne four years ago, took the lead after four of the six rotations and stayed on top to go one better than the silver medal he won on Monday in the team event.

Australia missed out on gold having won both the men&aposs and women&aposs team events.


Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912108/sports/5/92/5/poi

Gill congratulates Indian athletes on CWG success

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

Sports Minister M S Gill today congratulated the Indian athletes for their good performance in the Commonwealth Games here.

"I am happy to see excellent performance of our boys and girls, especially in wrestling, weightlifting and shooting events,"Gill said through a statement.

Gill hoped that other Indian players will also add to the country&aposs medal tally.

I am confident that our teams/players will perform better in days ahead,"Gill added.

Yesterday, grapplers stole the limelight with three gold medals while the shooters grabbed two as India snatched the second spot by leap-frogging from its overnight seventh position on the second day of competitions in the Commonwealth Games.

Source : http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912116/sports/5/92/5/poi

It's special feeling and I want a medal: Aditi Mutatkar

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

Aditi Mutatkar hogged the limelight early in her career before a nagging knee injury led to a long lay-off but having made it to the Commonwealth Games squad at the eleventh hour, she is now desperately seeking a medal here.

Aditi turned 23 today and also made her debut in Commonwealth Games and the diminutive shuttler from Pune says it is a special feeling after spending life at the sidelines for quite a while.

"Two years back I was playing very well and would have easily got into the squad but then the injury phase came and it was very difficult time. But making it to the squad and actually playing the first match of my first Commonwealth Games of course is special. I know I have put a lot of hard work to get this opportunity and I want to win a medal because I don&apost know if I would get another chance,"Aditi told media.

After being out for almost the whole of last year, Mutatkar made a successful return at the Syed Modi memorial tournament in Lucknow in December 2009, reaching the final. She then she made it to the semi-finals of the Senior Nationals in January this year before withdrawing because of the same injury.

Her physiotherapy sessions with Dr Anand Gangwal helped her through the injury. Aditi made it to the quarterfinals of the Asian Badminton Championship in April before replacing Gayatri Vartak in the Indian team for the Uber Cup finals.

"For the last three months, I have a new trainer. His name is Darshan Wagh. I am currently training with him and it has helped a lot. I don&apost have any injury scare. It is no more playing in my mind,"she said.

Asked about her women&aposs singles hopes in the Commonwealth Games, Aditi said she has set a target of quarterfinals at least.

"I have Wong Mew Choo in my half of draw. So I am hoping to reach at least the quarterfinals where I may meet her. It would be great for India if I can play Saina (Nehwal) in the finals. Of course, it is a long way up there and I don&apost want to count my chickens before they hatch,"she says with a smile.

Aditi beat Carissa Turner 21-13 21-8 in the women&aposs singles of the mixed team event against Wales today.

Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912068/sports/5/92/5/poi

Somdev, Sania move to quarter-finals, Bopanna out

New Delhi (06 October,2010),(India Report)

Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza breezed into quarter-finals with easy wins but Rohan Bopanna crashed out of the men&aposs singles competition of the Commonwealth Games here today.,

Up against second seed and world number 133 Australian Peter Luczak, Bopanna went down fighting 2-6 6-7(5) in one hour and 37 minutes in the second round of the men&aposs singles at R K Khanna Tennis stadium.

Earlier, top seed Somdev crushed Sri Lanka&aposs Amresh Jayawickreme 6-0 6-1 in the men&aposs singles while Sania overpowered Cook Island&aposs Brittany Teei 6-0 6-2 in a women&aposs singles second round match.

As the tournament has churned out several lop-sided contests, Bopanna-Luczak match was awaited for some good action and the two players did not disappoint.

Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912047/sports/5/92/5/poi

CWG a missed opportunity for J&K, says Omar

Srinagar, Oct 6 (India Report)

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said here that the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Delhi were a missed opportunity for the tourism sector of the state due to unrest in the Valley.

"Commonwealth games are going on in Delhi and Kashmir would have been flooded with tourists had the situation been peaceful here,"Omar said in the state Assembly.

He said if the situation had been normal, it would have been difficult to find a single room in the hotels of Pahalgam, Gulmarg and other tourist resorts of the state.

"However, there is an eerie silence in Pahalgam and Gulmarg with no tourists. It is loss of the tourism sector and those associated with the trade,"he said.

The Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that separatists were disturbing normalcy in the Valley.

"Kashmir issue will not be resolved in a week or couple of months. Will we continue to stop people from earning their livelihood till then?"he asked.

Omar said the ongoing unrest has resulted in loss of 30,000 jobs in the Valley, mostly in hotels, banks and IT companies in the private sector.

He said the turmoil in the Valley has hit the common man most as even train services are not allowed to operate.

"By paying Rs 15, one could travel from Qazigund in South Kashmir to Srinagar and even Baramulla in North Kashmir. It was much cheaper than the other modes of transport,"he said, adding, the travel time between various places had been cut down significantly after the introduction of the train services.


Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912040/sports/1/20/1/poi

Indian grapplers aiming 4-5 medals in Olympics: Ravinder, Anil

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

The three Indian Greco-Roman wrestling gold winners today said they cannot remain satisfied with the Commonwealth Games laurels and will have to do well in next month&aposs Asian Games with the ultimate aim on podium finish in the 2012 London Olympics.

Ravinder Singh (60kg), Sanjay (74kg) and Anil Kumar (96kg) swept the wrestling gold on Tuesday but they would have to work harder as Indian grapplers are aiming four or five medals in the 2012 Olympics.

"The CWG gold has boosted our confidence and our next big event is the Asian Games next month. Maybe we will have a short break but our coaches have set out a tight training schedule till December. Then we will have World Championships next year which will be the qualifying event for 2012 London Olympics,"Ravinder told a press conference.

"We have a very tight training schedule. Ultimately our aim is to win 4-5 medals in 2012 London Olympics,"he added.

Ravinder said in recent years after the bronze medal by Sushil Kumar, wrestling has risen in profile and they will have to keep it up.

"Some years back nobody is interested in wrestling. But after Sushil&aposs bronze medal and then gold in World Championships recently the profile of the sport has increased and lots of youngsters are taking to wrestling now,"he said.

Anil said winning the Commonwealth Game gold was a big achievement but they will have to keep performing if wrestling have to raise its profile.

"It is a big achievement, we have done something for the country. But we have to keep performing,"he said.
Anil said the hiring of a Georgian coach before the Games had helped in their performance."We learnt a lot from him and I think he was lucky for us,"he said.

He said he kept his cool during his final bout against Fakir despite his opponent provoking him to commit mistakes.

"He thought he was favourite to win gold and when he could not pin me down he was angry. He was taller but I did not allow him to stand up. He was angry because of that. My coach had told me he would try to provoke me and I should keep my calm. I did just that,"he explained.

"People think wrestlers are not intelligent but we have take decision in split second what to do or not. A wrong decision will cost us dear,"he said.

The wrestlers also commented on six of their colleagues being involved in doping recently and said it was difficult for them to find out which was prohibited substance or not.

"People from the federation and NADA come to give awareness about prohibited substances but it is difficult for us to find out which things we used contain banned substances,"Ravinder said.

"It&aposs difficult to know the prohibited substances and we cannot find out which things we used contain banned substances. People say this substance (methylhexaneamine) is contained in massage oil,"he said.

Ravinder also denied that coaches also encouraged their wards to take drugs to enhance their performance.

"No, coach does not spend their money in buying anything and so nothing like giving things which contained banned substances. We spend our own money and buy whatever supplement we use. Our coach has not given even a vitamin,"he said in a lighter vein.

Greco-Roman coach Hargobind Singh said the athletes cannot remember the long list of prohibited substances.

Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912025/sports/5/92/5/poi

Netizens shower praise and support for CWG

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

Before the Games kicked off, jokes about the unpreparedness were in plenty on social networking sites, but now Facebook and Twitter have become the medium for&aposnetizens&aposto come out in support of organisers and cheer athletes.

Many of the internet users have formed groups in support of the Commonwealth Games, posting updates to cheer athletes and encouraging the Organising Committee for making the sporting event memorable.
Be it discussion, comments, poll or criticism, a number of cybersurfers are actively involved in it.

Appreciating the opening ceremony on October 3, Niket Singh, a Facebook user posted"At CWG 2010 India Rocks". Another user, Prabal Jadon said"better than Beijing Olympic, awesome ceremony."
Whereas for Ajay Verma, the scintillating ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was".Heaven and great moment for us.Jai Ho"

People from different walks of life, such as engineers, doctors, students, government employees, organisers and volunteers, are actively sharing their experience.

They also took on the naysayers head on for being pessimistic regrading the conduct of such a magnum opus event."I want to tell you that even in international arena, this ceremony was so well received. All are saying Arre yeh India to apna baap nikla (India came out came out stronger than expected),"a volunteer Prasad Kulkarni wrote.

"Actually, all are tired after commenting on numerous news websites.As a television audience, I would want to give a huge thanks to all of the celebration committee and volunteers who made this event a grand success."

Images of rooms, the arenas, and the swimming pools are being posted, while a few are busy giving fast updates on medal tally, besides describing events of the day and competition schedule.

 Source : http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912032/sports/5/92/5/poi

Ticketing issues, traffic restrictions keep crowds away

New Delhi, Oct 6 (India Report)

The Commonwealth Games got off to a scintillating opening three days ago but a tight security apparatus, far-away venues and several ticketing issues are still keeping spectators away from the mega sporting event.

While empty stadiums are giving sleepless nights to Games organisers, spectators complain that procuring a ticket itself is a big problem and once they get one, reaching the venues offers more challenges.

The Organising Committee has set up ticket booths outside venues after the intervention of the Games Federation which was clearly unhappy with the poor attendance at the stadiums.

Spectators complain that reaching the venues were a big problem due to traffic restrictions.
"One has to walk a long distance in sun, may be three kilometres or more, to reach the venues. You have to park your vehicle some five-seven kilometres away. It is hell reaching a stadium,"said Sushil Das, who went to Yamuna Sports Complex.

Another concern of the spectators was the"unnecessary"security restrictions.
"It was very hard for me to convince the policemen at the access point that I will not harm anyone with my car keys. They kept saying they cannot allow me inside with car keys. This is ridiculous,"said Ranjan Saxena, who visited the Indira Gandhi stadium.

A senior Organising Committee official said security apparatus apparently was turning away spectators from the stadiums.

People also complained about long queues at ticket counters and the time taken for giving tickets.
"It is not rocket science. One should get a ticket in minutes after the payment is done. Here one has to wait for more than 15 minutes sometimes,"Anjana Shukla, who went to Indira Gandhi stadium, said.

Another problem was the"high-priced"food at the venues."We are not allowed to take food. The prices are very high at the venues. Who can afford this?"asked Dipak Gupta, a spectator.

Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/912030/sports/5/92/5/poi

Fkiri's behaviour 'unacceptable': Australian chef de mission

Melbourne, Oct 6 (India Report)

Steven Moneghetti, chef de mission of Australia, today termed behaviour of compatriot grappler Hassene Fkiri as"unacceptable"and supported the decision to strip him of a Delhi Commonwealth Games silver medal in the 96kg Greco-Roman category.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association held meetings following Fkiri&aposs behaviour during the gold medal bout against India&aposs Anil Kumar yesterday, during which the Australian made indecent behaviour.

"I would describe his actions as unacceptable for an Australian sportsperson representing their country in international competition. Publicly, it didn&apost look good,"Moneghetti was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press (AAP).

"It&aposs very embarrassing because he&aposs disappointed himself, his family, wrestling, but overall, he&aposs disappointed the Australian Commonwealth Games team. It was well within our rights to instantly dismiss him from the team and send him home,"Moneghetti added.

During the bout, Fkiri was cautioned thrice by the umpire for dangerous play. The Australian repeated the mistake again, forcing the umpire to disqualify him and asked to leave the mat.
But while leaving, Fkiri showed the middle finger to his opponent and the judges which eventually cost him his silver medal.

Instead, Fkiri was required to apologise to the match referee and competition manager in person tomorrow.

He will now be confined to the Athletes&aposVillage until the end of the Games and has to assist his teammates with their competition preparations, the report said.

After his return to Australia, he will conduct a weekly one-hour training session for 12 months with the juniors of the Sydney wrestling club of which he is a member, it added.

Source :  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/911989/sports/5/92/5/poi

Indian lifters disappoint after day one high

New Delhi, Oct 5 (India Report)

Indian lifters failed to capitalise on their first day success as Rustam Sarang and Omkar Otari went down fighting in 62kg category to finish fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Commonwealth Games here today.

Swati Singh, in 53kg women&aposs event, too could not make it to the podium at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. In the men&aposs section, despite a good show by the Indians, Malaysia stole the limelight bagging the gold as well as the silver medal.

Aricco Jumitih clinched gold and Naharudin Mahayudin took silver, while Sri Lanka&aposs Sudesh Peiris Kurukulasooriyage came from behind to clinch the bronze medal.
In the women&aposs event, Swati Singh never looked comfortable as she failed in two out of three attempts in snatch. In clean and jerk, after making a successful first attempt, she got injured in the warm-up to finish fourth.
Canada&aposs Marilou Dozois clinched the gold after totalling 182 kgs (82 in snatch and 100 in clean and jerk), while Onyeka Azike of Nigeria won silver after she totalled 180kgs. Malaysia&aposs Raihan Yusoff took bronze with a total of 175kgs.

"The competition is not very hard but I think they (lifters) are just not being able to transform their training performances on the field. But there is no problem with their technique,"said India coach Harnam Singh.

Earlier, at the end of 62kg men&aposs snatch, Otari was leading the table along with Mahayudin with both on 125kgs, while Sarang was placed third on 121kgs.

Gold medallist Jumitih and Kurukulasooriyage were also not far behind, on 120kgs. Jumitih, who looked comfortable lifting 120kgs in his first attempt in snatch, failed in his next two attempts, trying to lift 125kgs, whereas the lankan reached the 120kg mark.

Thereafter, the tables turned in clean and jerk event. Otari had a successful first attempt of 140kgs but failed to lift 145kgs in his next two. Sarang kept India&aposs hopes alive as he cleared a lift of 150kgs in his second attempt in clean to total 271. Unfortunately, he could not hold on to 153kgs in his third and final attempt to remain at 271.

Surprisingly, Kurukulasooriyage, who failed to lift 145kgs in his first attempt, lifted 152kgs in clean and jerk in his second. In the third, he lifted 152kgs to total 272.

The contest for the first and second spot was between the two Malaysians. Mahayudin, who finished the snatch round with 125kgs, lifted 150kgs to make a total of 275. But, in the end, it was Jumitih who had the last laugh, totalling 276, to bag the top prize.

Asked about Swati, Harnam said:"She was well within her range after the first clean and jerk lift but then got injured. So we had to take our chances by asking her to go for 98kgs in her second attempt, which she failed.

 Source :   http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/911822/sports/5/92/5/poi

India's recurve archers advance to quarterfinals

New Delhi, Oct 5 (India Report)
In a mixed day for Indian archery, the recurve section saw a thumping performance but the compound section was a big letdown, in the Commonwealth Games competition at Yamuna Sports Complex here today.

Top seed Rahul Banerjee, along with Jayanta Talukdar, booked quarterfinal berths in men&aposs recurve, while the duo of Deepika Kumari and Dola Banerjee, too lived up to their billing to book a last-eight berth.
But the compound archers bowed out in the last 16 stage, leaving India in contention for four gold medals.
"Compound is new to us and our archers struggled against some of the world&aposs best in the Aussies and and the English archers,"India coach Poornima Mahato told media., 

"But our best hope is in recurve archery where everybody is doing well. Hopefully, we continue our march and bag four gold medals,"she said.

Continuing his red-hot form, Rahul defeated Shiek Sojeb of Bangladesh in straight sets 4-0 to set up a last-eight clash with Mat Masonwells of Australia.

Having topped the ranking round yesterday, Rahul got a first round bye. Earlier in the day, Rahul toppled Terence Coward 4-0 in the second round to enter the pre-quarters.

Talukdar beat Constanti Christodoulou of Cyprus 5-1 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Olympic double bronze medalist Simon Terry.

Second seeded Talukdar beat Konstantinos Loizou of Cyprous 4-0. However, the third Indian recurve archer, Tarundeep Rai, fell to Cheng Chu Sian of Malaysia 0-4.

Reigning cadet world champion Deepika Kumari, in red-hot form at the moment, waltzed past Wendy Liu Jie Tan of Singapore 4-0 to set up a last-eight clash with Australian Alexandara Feeney.
Deepika gave credit to senior member Dola Banerjee, who, incidentally, is her roommate at the Games Village.

"Her assistance is really helpful. She tells me the basics whenever I go wrong. She points out my mistakes and helps me in correcting them,"Deepika told PTI.

Two-time Olympian and 2007 World Cup final gold medalist, Dola Banerjee, who is seeded second, drubbed Malaysia&aposs Ng Sui Kim 4-2, to set up a quarterfinal match against Amy Lee Oliver of England. Laishram Bombayla Devi, seeded ninth, fell to Alexandra 2-4 in the pre-quarters.

In the compound section, Jignas Chittibomma lost to Sh Cilliers 0-4, while Chinna Raju Srither was pipped by Anthony Patrick Waddick 3-4 in the second round. Ritul Chatterjee lost 2-4 to Jules Cornet in the first round.

Among the women&aposs compound trio, Gagandeep Kaur made the pre-quarters before bowing out to Nicky Hunt of England 2-4.

Bheigyabati Chanu and Jhano Hansdah lost out to their respective opponents in the first round of women&aposs compound section.

Source:  http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/911742/sports/5/92/5/poi

Players, flim star shower praise on Bindra, Narang

New Delhi, Oct 5 (Indiareport)

Noted personalities from sports and film showered praise on shooters Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang, who won gold in the 10-metre air rifle pairs event in the Commonwealth Games here today.

Legendry singer Lata Mageshkar congratulated the duo on her twitter page, saying"I am happy to know that Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang have won gold medal in CWG. My heartiest congratulations to them."

The duo, who fired a Games record of 1193 points, also got praise from tennis stars Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza."Super stuff by Abhinav Bindra and Gagang Narang. Congrats to Bindra and Narang who secure India&aposs 1st CWG gold medal.,"Bopanna tweeted

Sania also congratulated Rahi Sarnobat and Anisha Sayyed, who won another gold for India in women&aposs 25-metre pistol pair event.

Playback singer Shreya Ghoshal also expressed her happiness after the win, tweeting"Abhinav and gagan get our first gold. Fantastic!"

source : http://www.indiareport.com/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/911694/sports/5/92/5/poi

Steve Hooker looks forward to Games

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Olympic pole-vault gold medallist Steven Hooker has said today that he is looking forward to a give his best at the upcoming Games and also have two great weeks at the mega-event.
"I am looking forward to a good show here,"Hooker said after arriving at the Games Village."I am expecting a stiff competition from the English and Canadian pole-vaulters."
Steven&aposSteve&aposHooker, a 28-year-old from Melbourne, who recorded a personal best of 6.06 metres that made him second only to the legendary Sergey Bubka.
Asked if Bubka&aposs retirement had added spark to the international competitions, Hooker said,"Things have definitely opened up since Bubka retired. Now there are more pole-vaulters keen on getting good results, something that wasn&apost always possible when Bubka was around."
Hooker, with his display at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, became the first Australian athlete to win a pole-vault gold and the first Australian athlete to win an Olympic gold in a field event in 60 years.
In Beijing, Hooker came out winner with a jump of 5.90m, following which he broke the Olympic record, with a jump of 5.96m Hooker&aposs personal best is 6.06m
Asked about his impressions of Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, Hooker said,"I think the arrangements here are quite good and I am really looking forward to two great weeks in Delhi."
Hooker also won gold at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, in Berlin, where he overcame a groin injury to clear 5.90m The IAAF World Indoor Championships this year saw him emerge champion with a championship record of 6.01m
Steve Hooker&aposs sporting credentials are remarkable. His mother Erica was a participant in the 1972 Munich Olympics and also a silver medallist in long jump at 1978 Commonwealth Games. Steve&aposs father Bill represented Australia in the 800m and 4 x 400m at the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Steve is also accomplished amateur sprinter, with a personal best of 10.82 in 100 metres

Exhibition on Commonwealth Games opens

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Archival documents that highlight India&aposs sporting tradition, the role of youth and the genesis and growth of Commonwealth Games have been showcased at an exhibition here.
The exhibition titled&aposCommonwealth: Upholding Sporting Tradition and Sporting Spirit&aposalso depicts the history of the 19th Games host city Delhi with the aid of historical records, rare photographs and other contemporary material.
After inaugurating the exhibition at the National Archives of India Museum, Vice President Hamid Ansari said school students should be brought to the exhibition so that they can know the history.
National Archives of India Director-General Prof Mushirul Hasan and Culture Secretary Jawhar Sircar were also present on the occasion.
The exhibition will be open for public viewing till October 15.
The Exhibition based on historical records, rare photographs and contemporary material, showcases the genesis and growth of Commonwealth Movement and India&aposs historical relationship with Member States and the Commonwealth.
It highlights not only the concept of the Commonwealth Movement with special reference to India, but also games and sports of India and the country&aposs underlying sporting spirit.
The exhibition also highlights the country&aposs sporting tradition and the role of youth through archival documents.
It is divided into four parts-India and Commonwealth, Commonwealth Games: A Retrospect, Sports in India, and the Host City: Delightful Delhi.

HC tells channels to respect Prasar Bharti's CWG copyright

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
The Delhi High Court today asked private channels to respect and be fair in using the footage of Commonwealth Games, starting October 3, for which Prasar Bharti has exclusive broadcasting rights.
The Court&aposs directive comes after Prasar Bharti filed an injunction suit against 24 channels and the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games fearing infringement of its copyright.
Even though the High Court did not pass any injunction against the 24 television channels against whom Prasar Bharti had approached the court, Justice V K Shali directed them to strictly follow the rules mentioned in the section 39 of the Copyrights Act.
Section 39 provides for"fair dealing"acts by which the channels would not infringe upon the rights of the official broadcaster. It says that no broadcast reproduction would be infringed if they are recorded for the purpose of"reporting of current events or for bona fide review, teaching or research".
Under International Television News Access Rules, when a games organising committee gives exclusive rights to a particular channel, no other organisation may broadcast sound or images of the event.
Commonwealth Games would be held in New Delhi from October 3 to 14.

Don't mix politics with sports: Athletes on Ayodhya verdict

New Delhi, Sep 30 (New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Most of the athletes living in the Commonwealth Games Village welcomed Allahabad High Court verdict on Ayodhya issue, asking people to maintain calm and not to include politics with Games.
Clouds of apprehensions were soon removed from the minds of the most of the athletes here, who were anxiously awaiting for the pronouncement of the judgement, since their arrival in the country.
"We are very happy with the judgement. The security here is very good. We are here for sports. Sports is to bring peace and politics should not be mixed with it,"said Igwe Tobias, Kenya team official.
"Security here is good and there is nothing to worry about,"he added.
For Kurties Tulia, athlete from Samoa, also voiced the same views.
"There is good security apparatus made for us. We feel safe here The verdict has nothing to worry about,"he said.
Allahabad High Court today ruled by majority that the disputed land in Ayodhya be divided into three parts to be distributed among the Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the party for&aposRam Lalla&apos.
Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma carried out the proceedings to pronounce the judgement in the Ayodhya title suit.
"We are living comfortably here. Though I saw most of the people discussing about the verdict but I did not find anything to trouble me. I am happy with the security and arrangements here,"said an athlete from Australia.
Over 5,000 athletes and their support staff from about 56 nations are staying at the Games Village to participate in fortnight-long sporting extravaganza scheduled to begin from Sunday.)
Most of the athletes living in the Commonwealth Games Village welcomed Allahabad High Court verdict on Ayodhya issue, asking people to maintain calm and not to include politics with Games.
Clouds of apprehensions were soon removed from the minds of the most of the athletes here, who were anxiously awaiting for the pronouncement of the judgement, since their arrival in the country.
"We are very happy with the judgement. The security here is very good. We are here for sports. Sports is to bring peace and politics should not be mixed with it,"said Igwe Tobias, Kenya team official.
"Security here is good and there is nothing to worry about,"he added.
For Kurties Tulia, athlete from Samoa, also voiced the same views.
"There is good security apparatus made for us. We feel safe here The verdict has nothing to worry about,"he said.
Allahabad High Court today ruled by majority that the disputed land in Ayodhya be divided into three parts to be distributed among the Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the party for&aposRam Lalla&apos.
Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice D V Sharma carried out the proceedings to pronounce the judgement in the Ayodhya title suit.
"We are living comfortably here. Though I saw most of the people discussing about the verdict but I did not find anything to trouble me. I am happy with the security and arrangements here,"said an athlete from Australia.
Over 5,000 athletes and their support staff from about 56 nations are staying at the Games Village to participate in fortnight-long sporting extravaganza scheduled to begin from Sunday.

Champion discus thrower Scott Martin pulls out

Melbourne, Sep 30 (India Report)
Star pull-outs continued ahead of the Commonwealth Games with defending champion discus thrower Scott Martin of Australia withdrawing from the mega event due to a chest injury.
Martin, who also won a bronze medal in shot put in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, injured a chest muscle while competing at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Cairns, North Queensland, last week.
Martin, who was due to fly to New Delhi today, said he was disappointed not to defend his title next week.
"I&aposve had a category one or grade one tear in my right pectoral, which has disabled me from throwing, so I&aposm not going to make the trip,"Martin was quoted as saying by&aposAustralian Broadcasting Corporation&apos.
"It&aposs a very difficult decision not to go, but the decision was made for me I guess with the injury. I really couldn&apost compete, certainly not at my best and there would be no opportunity to train before the competition,"he said.
26-year-old 100m hurdler Hayley Butler also withdrew from the Games to recover from stress fractures in both feet. She was to run alongside Australia&aposs Olympic silver medallist Sally Pearson.
A number of Australians have already skipped the mega event for various reasons and the list includes swimmer Stephanie Rice, tennis player Samantha Stosur, discus world champion Dani Samuels, cyclist Travis Meyer and table tennis player Stephanie Sang.

Corporates give cold shoulder to CWG

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
With less than three days remaining for the Commonwealth Games to kick start, it has not been able to generate enough interest from corporates, who are being driven away by negativism around the mega sporting event.
While most of the companies, including LG Electronics India and Godrej, have decided to give the event a cold shoulder, others like Hero Honda, Tata Motors and Coca Cola are sponsoring the CWG, being held from October 3-14, in kind.
"With all the bad name associated with the event, we will not feel we have missed an opportunity even if the CWG proves to be a success,"L G Electronics India National Sales head Amitabh Tiwari told media.
He said the company did not plan for the CWG and will not make any last minute changes, adding the organisers of the event should have approached all the corporate houses, who are major spenders on sports to make it successful.
Stating that the group is not interested in the CWG, Godrej Group Chairman Adi Godrej said:"We are not looking at any sort of association with the games."
He said no one has approached the group for sponsorship, advertising or any other kind of association and"even we are not interested".
Commenting on the general lack of enthusiasm among the corporate houses, Madison World Chairman Sam Balsara said:.
"The interest among corporates is very low as except for the opening ceremony and a few key events, the games are unlikely to generate any substantial viewership."
He, however, said companies should look at associating with the CWG for patriotic reasons.
"We are trying to persuade our clients to have a re-look at it,"Balsara said.
The CWG has failed to lure private players and has been banking on public sectors enterprises like Railways, NTPC, Central Bank of India and Air India, who are the sponsors.
Only three notable private players are associated with the event. While Hero Honda is the official motorcycle partner, Tata Motors is providing over 1,809 vehicles to be used during the Games. Coca Cola on the other hand is the official beverages partner.
Doordarshan, the official broadcaster of the event has also been struggling to rope in advertisers. It has already revised downwards its ad revenue from the event to Rs 100 crore from initially planned Rs 200 crore.
In order to give a filip, the government had asked public sector oil companies to book ad spots worth Rs 10 crore on DD&aposs national and regional channels.

Indian swimming squad has increased from 26 to 40: SFI

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
The number of swimmers in India&aposs Commonwealth Games squad has been increased from 26 to 40 to give more exposure to youngsters in the mega event starting on Sunday, the national federation said today.
There were reports that Swimming Federation of India had increased the number after the IOA directed it to do so to ensure the country fields the largest contingent but SFI Secretary Virendra Nanavati told media that it was done to give exposure to younger swimmers.
"We have increased the number of swimmers from 26 to 40 on September 15. It was the decision of the selection committee,"he told media.
"Since India is hosting the Commonwealth Games we thought the youngsters can be given international exposure. So the selection committee increased the number. Now our swimming squad has 53 members, including the officials and support staff,"he added.
India&aposs Chef de Mission Bhubaneswar Kalita also told reporters today that the number of swimmers in the Commonwealth Games squad has been increased.
He said India would field the largest contingent of athletes in the Commonwealth Games.
"India, being the host country, has the advantage to have more athletes. Some of our athletes have not arrived yet. They will be coming in batches and we will have our full strength ready latest by October 8. We will have the maximum number of participants,"he said.

Metro to JLN Stadium just hours before the Games?

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Delhi Metro&aposs Central Secretariat- Badarpur corridor, which provides connectivity to the main Commonwealth Games venue, is likely to be operational just hours before the event begins on Sunday.
The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety will inspect the line for two days beginning tomorrow.
The 21-km line that connects Central Delhi with some of the densely-populated areas of South Delhi, close to Haryana border, has already missed its deadline and will reach only till Sarita Vihar.
Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety R K Kardam, who received documents relating to the inspection of the line from Central Secretariat to Sarita Vihar yesterday, said he will inspect the line tomorrow and on Saturday.
Metro decided to inaugurate the line till Sarita Vihar as some work on the stretch from Sarita Vihar-Badarpur is still pending. The small stretch is likely to be opened 10 days later.
"I have received the papers for the inspection of the Badarpur corridor. I will be inspecting the line on Friday and Saturday,"he told media.
With the inspection to be held till Saturday, DMRC will be able to inaugurate the line to public only on Sunday provided it gets the mandatory safety certificate from the CMRS.
Even if the CMRS gives his clearence on Saturday, the line will be opened on Sunday, which means the line will be operational just hours before the Games begin. The opening ceremony of the Games will be held on Sunday evening.
Besides providing connectivity to JLN Stadium, the Metro will reach 10 of the 11 stadias.
This is the third line where DMRC has failed to meet its deadline. The earlier lines where it missed the deadlines were the Yamuna Bank-Noida City Centre and the Central Secretariat-Qutub Minar corridors.
The line got delayed due to Delhi Metro&aposs worst-ever accident at Zamrudpur in South Delhi on July 12, 2009. Seven persons were killed when a bridge collapsed during the construction of the corridor.

Malhotra writes to PM urging for President Patil to open CWG

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Holding that inauguration of the Commonwealth Games by Prince Charles would amount to"violation of Indian Constitution", General Association of National Sports Federations chief Vijay Kumar Malhotra today asked the government to ensure that President Pratibha Patil does the honour on Sunday.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manamohan Singh, Malhotra said President Patil should declare the Commonwealth Games open as she"has the supreme position in the protocol to be observed in any function in India".
He said President Patil should open the Games first and then Prince Charles can read out the Queen&aposs message.
"If Prince Charles is allowed to read the message which ends with the line-I declare the Games open-before the President it will be the violation of Indian Constitution,"he said.
Malhotra said he wrote the letter after raising the issue in the Executive Board of the CWG Organising Committee and"I was told that Government is looking into matter".
"According to the Constitution of India, President of India has the supreme position in protocol to be observed in any function in India. I have come to know that in the opening ceremony of Commonwealth Games in J N Stadium, Prince Charles after reading the Queens Message will declare the Games open. After that the President of India will address&conclude by saying that&aposlet the Games begin',"he said.

Hooper should share blame for messy CWG preparation: McCully

Wellington (01 October ,2010),(India Report).

Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper should share the blame for the messy build up to the October 3-14 mega-event in Delhi, feels New Zealand Sports Minister Murray McCully.
McCully said Hooper and the CWF will have a lot to answer for after the Games are over in Delhi.
"We should be careful about simply asserting that Indian officials carry all the responsibility,"Mr McCully was quoted as saying in the website&aposstuff.CoNz'
"He&aposs been based there to oversee those arrangements. I certainly think there&aposs going to be a sharing of responsibility, but this is not the time. Let&aposs let them do their jobs and leave the serious questions for afterwards. But they should be asked,"he added.
Hooper has been in the eye of a storm after his disparaging remarks about India&aposs population and for putting the blame on the Indian government for the messy preparation of the Commonwealth Games.
Upset at his remark, a coalition of more than 20 groups calling itself the"Anti-Commonwealth Games Front"yesterday protested at the Jantar Mantar and demanded boycott of the October 3-14 event and Queen&aposs Baton Relay.
On Wednesday, activists from the"Rashtrawadi Sena", a hardline Hindu group, burnt the effigy of Hooper outside the OC office and held signs saying"Racist Hooper Go Back","Shame On Michael Hooper"and"Hooper insulted our nation: Hooper go back".

Kiwi tennis player Ellen Barry pulls out of CWG

Wellington, Oct 1 (India Report)
The fortified Games village in New Delhi failed to gain the confidence of New Zealand tennis player Ellen Barry as she became the latest to pull out of the Commonwealth Games citing security concerns.
The 21-year-old was supposed to pair up with Marina Erakovic in the women&aposs doubles but pulled out at the last minute saying she fears the security arrangements.
"It all happened in the last 24-36 hours while everything else was on,"New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie was quoted as saying in the New Zealand Herald.
"It will impact on Marina&aposs doubles hopes. She is also going to be a day later, she is due tomorrow (Friday),"he added.
Ellen is only the second athlete after cyclist Greg Henderson to pull out of the originally selected team of 193 because of security fears.
"Most people have trusted our judgement, given the length of time we&aposve been doing it.
"It weighs heavily on us that we make the right decision and we&aposve been grateful for that support from most sports. We&aposve appreciated the faith we&aposll make the right call. However, there will be no recriminations,"said Currie.
Barry and Henderson didn&apost approach the NZOC to gain knowledge about what exactly is going in New Delhi.
"Nobody rings you up,"Currie said.

Oz Sports Minister gets taste of tight security at CWG Village

New Delhi, Oct 1 (India Report)
With tight security in place at the Commonwealth Games Village even Australian Sports Minister Mark Arbib could not enter there in his official vehicle as it did not have the necessary accreditation and had to walk to the residential complex of his country&aposs athletes.
Arbib arrived at the Village this morning to meet his country&aposs athletes and officials but was denied entry from Gate No 2 as his vehicle didn&apost have the necessary accreditation for entering the complex.
Arbib had to walk to the residential block of Aussie athletes that too after being apparently frisked by the security staff.

Designer duo Ashima-Leena ready with 4,000 outfits for CWG

New Delhi, Oct 1 (India Report)
Delhi-based fashion designers Ashima and Leena Singh will showcase a whopping 4,000 outfits in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games starting on Sunday.
According to the designers, the participants and artists will be wearing their creations while performing during the ceremonies and to welcome teams, guests and thousands of spectators.
"After months of hard work, we have finally designed the outfits for the ceremonies and ready to showcase them first in the Opening ceremony of the Games on October 3,"an excited Leena told media.,
About 400 workers have continuously worked to craft 4,000 dresses for the participants, she said.
"We have embedded an Indian soul while designing western costumes to reflect the richness of our culture and heritage,"Leena said, refusing to give any more details citing a"secrecy clause"of the contract with Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.
The fashion designers will showcase their designs in three segments -- first during the opening ceremony on October 3 and twice during the Closing Ceremony on October 14.
"Both of us were working together before and after getting the contract from OC. We are sure that our creations will surprise people,"the fashion designers said.
The OC had about eight months back roped in Ashima and Leena for the sporting event to give all the participants a trendy but cultural look to reflect the rich tradition of the country.
"We were asked by the OC to create a design to compliment the event, which we wholeheartedly accepted. Being one of the most prestigious event of the country, we faced some troubles to make the costumes. But now we are ready with flamboyant and aesthetic outfits for the Games,"Leena said.
&aposAshima-Leena&aposis one of the most recognisable brands of the country. The two sisters-in-law set it up in 1993.
Ashima, who hails from the first batch of NIFT, is the creative head whereas Leena, a lawyer by profession, is the marketing brain behind the brand.
Both of them have done about 290 ramp shows across the globe.

No concessions on security at Games Village: Lt Governer

New Delhi, Oct 1 (India Report)
After Australian Sports Minister Mark Arbib&aposs official vehicle was stopped from entering the Commonwealth Games Village due to lack of accreditation, Delhi&aposs Lt Governer Tejinder Khanna today said no security concessions would be made for anyone.
"Sorry there is no concession for anybody. If anybody does not have proper accreditation, he will have to go through the process,"he said when asked about the Australian Minister being stopped outside the gate.
Arbib today had to walk to the Australian residential block that too after being frisked by the security staff in the absence of proper accreditation.
Khanna said the the Home Ministry was right in stopping the issuance of accreditation cards as just a couple of days remain in the opening of the Games.
"The Ministry has taken the correct decision. This order applies to all the security agencies including Delhi Police. So we cannot be complacent about security but the security at the Games Village is fool-proof,"he said.
He reiterated that the athletes at the Games Village are happy with the arrangements.
"All the athletes at the Village are satisfied and this is one of the best Games Village in any sporting event. All the 6,000 odd athletes who have arrived so far are happy. I had gone to the New Zealand residential tower and all their athletes are satisfied with the arrangements,"he said.

Singaporeans advised to be cautious in New Delhi

Singapore, Oct 1 (India Report)
Singapore government has advised their athletes travelling to New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games or otherwise to be vigilant and take all necessary precautions for their personal safety, according to local media reports here today.
Singaporeans were encouraged to purchase comprehensive medical and travel insurance for the trip, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
Singaporeans travelling to New Delhi were also urged to register with the ministry.
The Singapore travelers were also asked to register with the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi while the ministry has also set up a hotline in Singapore.
The Commonwealth Games had a tumultuous build-up with reports on dengue outbreak, security issues and living conditions of the Village raising concern among various participating nations.

Wavering wi-fi, annoying security but all is well for Guernsey

New Delhi, Oct 1 (India Report)
An island all of 25 square miles, Guernsey was one of the nations to raise concerns about the quality of accommodation at the Commonwealth Games Village but now that their contingent is here, they are glad not to have gone by media reports and heresay.
The team has been in the Indian capital for the last three days and even though there are some things which could have been better, overall they are very satisfied with what the village has to offer to athletes.
"There were so many issues before we left for Delhi but coming here we have realised that nothing is what it seems at times and we were quite surprised at the facilities and arrangements here,"says badminton team manager John Struat.
"Of course there are things which are not working like the Internet connection which has been a problem. It wavers now and then and the athletes are not able to keep in touch with family.
"There are a few things broken too but it&aposs OK. You have to look at the effort that people of India have put in to host the Games. The village is good, the venues are beautiful. I have been to all of them and it is great,"he adds.
However, John feels the lawn bowl venue could have been better as it lacks a proper shade for the athletes to rest.
"You know, there should have been a proper shade for the athletes as after playing under the sun for so long, you get exhausted and someone has to hold the umbrella for you,"he pointed out.
John, a former badminton player, himself, also feels the security at times too tight for comfort.
"There is too much security. Well, I can understand that it is for your own safety. But you know it becomes difficult at times. It needs to be a Little flexible so that the athletes don&apost feel frustrated,"he said.
John, who is also the coach of the Guernsey badminton team, said for his wards, it is an opportunity to rub shoulders with the Indian and Malaysian shuttlers.
"We are a small island where population will be around 65,000. It&aposs like a tiny part of Delhi. So considering that, we have around eight wooden courts for the athletes,"he said.
"But our players will never be able to represent their country. They will represent England. If one is a Scot, he or she goes on to play for Scotland, but if one is a Guernsey born, it is unlikely.
"The players play for England county like Middlesex and if they are good, they go on to play for the England team,"he said.

European experience to help in CWG, hopes Sharath

New Delhi, Oct 1 (India Report)
One of the defending champions at the Commonwealth Games, Olympain paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal said his recent training stint in Germany will hold him in good stead when he looks to retain his title at the table tennis event at the Delhi mega-event here.
Sharath, who joined his teammates at CWG Games Village earlier this week, feels he is a much improved player now and will be leaving no stones unturned to fetch glory in front of the home crowd when the table tennis competition starts on October 4 at Yamuna Sports Complex.
"I told my coach that I wanted to play in the European circuit for few more days before the Games and they happily agreed. So after the China Open I went to Germany and spent some extra time there.
"I got some good practice there. I am now in very good shape and confident of retaining the title,"Sharath told media.
"I think there will be tough competition in table tennis because a number of good players are there. I will be starting as the second seed in the singles category, behind Gao Ning of Singapore. The draw is going to be important,"said the world number 41.
The in-form Chennai paddler recently won two back-to-back international titles, including his maiden Pro Tour crown in Cairo. He also qualified for the main draw of the China Open recently.
Asked about the condition of the Games Village, Sharath blamed media for over-hyping the issue and said he was quite satisfied with the facilities there.
"The Village is actually nice, but media hyped it too much. Its nice to be here at the Village,"he said.
The Village recently came under attack from different quarters due to reported filthy staying conditions, although later the criticisms gave way to praise with athletes and other delegates giving thumbs up to the arrangements.
Besides singles, Sharath was also hopeful of good results in men&aposs doubles section, where he will pair up with former national champion Subhajit Saha.
"Subhajit has just recovered from an injury and returned to the rhythm fast. He is a good player and we have ability to do well in the Games,"the lanky paddler said.
In doubles also, the Indian duo will start as second seed.
In men&aposs category, Indian paddlers would have to overcome stiff challenges from Malaysia, New Zealand and Nigeria, among others.

16 countries hoist national flags at Games Village

New Delhi (30 September ,2010),(India Report).

Kenya, Namibia, Papua New Guinea and Northern Ireland were among the 16 countries who hoisted their national flags at the Commonwealth Games Village here today.
The flags were raised by National Cadet Corps volunteers while their respective national anthems were also rendered and replicas of the Queen&aposs Baton were presented to members of the contingents.
Students from various city schools performed cultural programmes, including traditional dance, on the occasion.
The other nations to hoist their flags were Falkland Islands, St Lucia, Botswana, St Helena, Nauru, Gambia, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Jamaica, Bermuda and Uganda.
Contingents were welcomed by Village Mayor Dalbir Singh, the Games mascot Shera and the volunteers.

Athletes' forms should be at centre of discussion: Amritraj

Bangalore, Sep 30 (India Report)
Not the negative news-flow but performance of the Commonwealth Games-bound Indian athletes should have been at the centre of attention on the run-up to the event, feels legendary tennis player Vijay Amritraj.
"The most important thing is to make sure that athletes get everything they want and I have a feeling that they have. Indian team seems to be very happy with everything. Now, the bottom line is how many medals we are going to win,"Amritraj told media.
"The most important thing is performance of the athletes. I think, once these two weeks are over, the issue is going to be, you know, where did we end up on the medal tally,"he added.
Asked about the criticism regarding Delhi&aposs preparations for the Games, he said the most important thing is,"We are in this all together. Image of the country is critical and vital, especially overseas.
"I think, that (the negative reports) is unfortunate. Its everyone&aposs business to be able to put us into limelight.

CWG infrastructure puts Delhi ahead by 10 years: Kalmadi

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi feels the world-class city infrastructure and the facilities, which have come up for the multi-discipline event, have put the national capital ahead by 10 years.
"The city is 10 years ahead now. Earlier people would fly from Delhi to Dubai, Singapore and many other destinations. Now they will land here, see the beautiful city,"Kalmadi said addressing the gathering at the Queen&aposs Baton arrival at the OC&aposs headquarters here today.
"Delhi is all set for the Games. We have a first class airport, a great metro connectivity that stretches right from the airport to the Games Village and to all the venues. Roads are just great, the entire city is spurced up. You have got everything,"he added.
The senior Congress leader also said the October 3-14 mega-event does not belong to any political party.
"Let me tell you, it&aposs not a Congress Games. It&aposs an all-party Games. The Games have come to us during the times of (then Prime Minister) Atal Behari Vajpayee-ji. We have done our best to see the results.
"28 years after we hosted the Asian Games, the city is hosting a big event. This is for the first time we are hosting Commonwealth Games. All the 71 nations have come or are on the way,"he said.
Reiterating that all the athletes were happy with the facilities at the Games Village near the Akshardham Temple, Kalmadi said,"I had given the athletes a choice, they are free to stay in hotel.
"But impressed with the Games Village, nobody opted for any five-star hotel. They do not want to stay in the hotel but in the Games Village."
On the occasion, Kalmadi also urged the citizens to actively participate in the Games.
"This is your city, your Games. You got to put your best foot forward,"he said.

Cyclists cry foul after being dropped at 11th hour

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
A group of Indian cyclists, initially part of the 27-member Commonwealth Games squad but later dropped mysteriously, has alleged that there was no transparency in the Cycling Federation of India&aposs (CFI) selection procedure.
The federation omitted Hitraj Singh, Gurbaaz Singh and Paramjit Singh&aposs names from the final list of squad for the October 3-14 event without giving a proper explanation.
The allegations come close on the heels of India&aposs Australian coach Graham Seers&aposstatement that there was"no criteria"for the CWG team selection.
The list, consisting of 18 men and nine women cyclists, was prepared after the final selection trial in the Capital.
But when the team started their journey from Patiala to the Village here, chief coach Chayan Chowdhury told the trio from Punjab that they were no longer part of the team.
"I had participated in every selection trials for the team since July. All three of us cleared mandatory trials organised by the federation. When we started our journey from Patiala to Delhi, the chief coach told us that we are no longer part of the team and this event does not belong to you,"Hitraj told PTI-Bhasha from Patiala.
"I was preparing for the Time trial competition in the Games. We all were given brand new imported cycles worth Rs 4.5 lakh to practice and were also asked to sign the mandatory SAI&aposs bond. I want to ask the federation why they gave us all the facilities when they were to drop our name from the final list,"asked Hitraj.
The selection trials were held in Patiala on August 16 for road cycling and on August 21-22 for track in New Delhi.
However, the CFI claimed the allegations were baseless.
"The decision was taken purely on the basis of performance. The entries, which were sent to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, did not mention their area of competition. They were never part of the squad. I have never told the trio that you are part of the final contingent participating in the Games,"said Chaudhary.
"I, along with our foreign coach Graham Seers, had finalised the final list of cyclists and we always kept performance in the trials in mind,"Chaudhary added.
CFI&aposs assistant secretary V N Singh put the blame on the lack of communication and said the federation will look into the matter after the Games."Such thing has happened due to some communication gap. We will look into the matter after the Games and inquire coaches about the incident,"Singh said.
Forty-eight medals are up for grabs in 14 track events, (eight for men and six for women) and two road events (mass start and time trial) in cycling event.
After a gap of 32 years, Indians are competing in cycling but the hosts have only a slim chance of medals, with strong contenders such as Australia and England in the fray.

NCR-based auto component makers bear brunt of CWG security

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
As the Capital gears up for the Commonwealth Games, auto parts makers in and around the National Capital Region are quietly bearing the brunt of tightened security measures, which have forced many of their casual workers to leave jobs for not having identity proofs.
"Yes there are problems. In certain companies absenteeism is as high as 25 per cent,"Auto Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) Executive Director Vinnie Mehta told media.
He said efforts are on by ACMA member firms to issue some sort of identity proof to contract labourers and daily wagers so that they can continue to work.
While none of the officials of companies that PTI spoke to agreed to come on record, they said in some cases even a third of their workers had to leave the NCR region as they didn&apost have valid identity proof.
"Most of the impact is on unskilled labour segment. Some companies have even asked relatives of existing workers to come for work, as it is easier to give them identification,"official of an auto maker said on condition of anonymity.
In some cases, work shifts have been extended beyond the regular eight hours duty with companies providing food and extra facilities, another official of a component firm said.
"We have even brought regular workers from our other facility to work at our factory in the NCR till the games are over,".
an official of a Gurgaon-based component maker said.
Asked about the impact of labour problems faced by component suppliers to its operations, Honda Motorcycle&Scooter India Operating Head (Sales and Marketing) N K Rattan said:"There were difficulties in getting some parts, as some of our vendors were having labour shortage."
As part of efforts to put in place a"fool-proof"system during the CWG to be held from October 3-14, Gurgaon Police had started verification drive as that region is an important transit zone to enter the National Capital.
Residents are required to provide identity proof to the police, and those who cannot are understood to have been asked to leave.

Looking forward to take on Indians and Malaysians: Joe Wu

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
He mixes daily trainings with a full-time job of web developer and is currently the triple national title holder in badminton.
Meet Joe Wu, New Zealand&aposs premier badminton player who has come to Delhi hoping to teach the Indians and Malaysians a lesson or two in the shuttle sport in the Commonwealth Games.
Originally born in Taiwan, Joe immigrated to New Zealand along with his parents when he was just nine and currently, at 24, he is one of the top shuttlers of his adopted country.
He will spearhead Kiwis&aposchallenge in the men&aposs singles of the badminton event in the October 3-14 mega-event.
"I started playing at the age of four or five. It has always been my passion and after I migrated to New Zealand, I followed my passion. But it is not easy
"I work as a web developer, I make web pages but I can&apost manage enough money to play all the top tournaments,"Joe told media after completing his practice at Siri Fort Stadium here.
"My day starts early as I practice for two hours from around 7-9 am and then rush to office and work till 4 pm, before going for practice in the evening for another 2-3 hours,"said Joe, who won three national titles -- men&aposs singles, men&aposs doubles and mixed doubles-this year.
Asked about his hopes in the tournament, the world number 102 shuttler said it would be very challenging because there are some tough teams such as India, Malaysia and Singapore.
"For the last four or five years we have been preparing for the Commonwealth Games and a good performance will set the things rolling for our future aim-2012 London Olympics. I really want to do well here. If I can beat any of the Indian players it would be great, they would also be hoping for some medals here,"he said.
Asked about their experience of staying in Games Village, Joe said,"We have been here for two days and it has been an interesting experience so far. The food is great here. The people are friendly and the stadium, its great."
"Look at this venue, it is world class,"he added.
The New Zealand badminton squad comprises eight members four men and as many women-and Joe said the best bet for a medal would be their mixed doubles pair of Henry Tam and Donna Haliday.
"We have a young team of eight players. I play in singles but I am ranked outside the 100 now. I had reached 59 once but lack of tournaments cost me the ranking. But our best bet is our mixed doubles pair. They are ranked around 34,"Joe said.

Positive dope tests damaging sports: Aussie cyclist

New Delhi, Sep 30 (India Report)
Disappointed with Alberto Contador&aposs positive dope test, Australian cyclist Shane Perkins, who is here to participate in the Commonwealth Games, said the result is"damaging"for the tainted sport.
Three-time Tour de France champion Contador tested positive for clenbuterol, which is a muscle-building and fat-burning drug, at this year&aposs Tour, the International Cycling Union said.
"Of course it&aposs disappointing,"track cyclist Perkins told media here.
"Anyone that tests positive in any sport, it&aposs going to be damaging."
Perkins himself has a dope-tainted past as he had tested positive for methamphetamine at the World Junior Track Championships in 2004 but his post-race sample was found to be clean.
He was suspended for six months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that he inadvertently took the drug from a nasal inhaler.
"Definitely the drug testing is getting a lot better, shutting a lot of people down,"Perkins said.
"It&aposs doing it&aposs job. They&aposre trying to fix the sport."
The Australian team&aposs chef de mission Steve Monaghetti said compared to previous years, athletes are more open to drug testing as they want to ensure that their sport&aposs integrity remains intact.
"Athletes feel it&aposs a very fair environment. In my day, there was a bit more happening underground,"Monaghetti said.
"We seem like we&aposre detecting them almost as they&aposre using them, so I think we&aposve caught up a little bit.
"The more testing you do, the more chances you have of eradicating it,"he added.