After days of indecision, the New Zealand Olympic Committee on Friday confirmed participation in the Delhi Commonwealth Games after seeing positive steps being taken by the organisers to improve the situation.
Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell on Friday inspected the Commonwealth Games Village and said "considerable improvements" have been made there even as embattled organisers continued their sprint against time to complete preparations for the October 3-14 event.
In what would be music to ears of the Indian organisers, Australia's Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite said the condition of the Games Village is "acceptable" as of now and also confirmed arrival of their contingent for the Games.
The Commonwealth Games Federation said the organisers need to address some 'slippages' immediately.
More Australian athletes can pull out from the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games over safety fears and a bridge collapse that has raised concerns about the event.
In a major embarrassment for organisers of the Commonwealth Games, an under-construction foot over-bridge on Tuesday collapsed outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue of the Commonwealth Games, injuring 23 labourers.
Piling on the embarrassment for the organisers, Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive Mike Hooper on Tuesday termed the Athletes Village as "filthy and uninhabitable" but hoped that with CGF President Michael Fennell's intervention, the mess would be sorted out in the next two days.
The chaotic build-up to the Delhi Commonwealth Games might have left some participating nations jittery but Singapore is not one of them and remains committed to sending its 68 athletes for the October 3 to 14 event.
India's failure to ensure that all the Commonwealth Games venues and the athletes' village comply with safety provision norms could jeopardise the organisation of the event, according to CGF CEO Mike Hooper, who said the organisers have allowed "things to go down to the wire".
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the security overlays in the games clusters will be completed by September 15. He also said security agencies would start carrying out mock drills at the venues.
He has been picked for both the Commonwealth and the Asian Games but Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh on Tuesday said he is still unhappy with the way selection trials for the two events were conducted as some "deserving" boxers have been left out.
In yet another damaging revelation, a British company reportedly charged the Delhi Commonwealth Games Organising Committee more than double of what a rival firm was offering for doing the overlays work at venues.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Thursday dismissed media reports that the star quartet of Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes, Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna has threatened to pull out of the Commonwealth Games due to non-clearance of Davis Cup dues and lack of financial assistance for preparations.
Triple Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice plans to have shoulder surgery later this year after competing at the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games in India.
Engulfed in a spate of corruption scandals, the Commonweath Games organising committee was on Friday dealt another blow with merchandising company Premier Brands pulling out of the mega event.
Acting on the persistent plea of the Sports Ministry, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee on Monday terminated the services of its tainted Joint Director General T S Darbari in the wake of the corruption scandal that has rocked the event.
The committee will float the tender by September 15, less than three weeks before the Games begin in New Delhi.
Railways has pledged Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) for the Games and a memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed between the public sector unit behemoth and the organising committee shortly.
'Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi would like to state that we have followed due diligence in making all payments, getting the clearances from the Executive Board and from Reserve Bank of India for incurring the expenditure in foreign currency. All remittances happened against this clearance,' OC spokesperson Lalit Bhanot said in a statement.
An inspection by the Central Vigilance Commission has found serious discrepancies like award of works at higher rates to bidders, poor quality of construction and grant of work to ineligible agencies in different Commonwealth Games-related construction works being carried out by various departments in Delhi.
Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal and boxing hero Vijender Singh are among six sportspersons who were named brand ambassadors on Tuesday for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
Pakistan-based Sikh militants, supported by the Inter Services Intelligence, might carry out bomb blasts in New Delhi before the Commonwealth Games, the Punjab police has alerted. An advisory circulated recently among all senior officers in the state by the intelligence department of the Punjab police has pointed out that Sikh militant leaders based in Pakistan are under 'tremendous pressure' from the ISI to carry out sabotage activities in India before the Games.
Sports Minister M S Gill on Sunday inaugurated the refurbished R K Khanna Stadium with the hope that the Indian tennis players would shine here and rake in the medals when the capital hosts the Commonwealth Games in October.
After men's Olympic Champion Usain Bolt, women's Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser has also decided to opt out of this year's Commonwealth Games.
With less than 90 days left for the Commonwealth Games, a leading US-based strategic think tank has warned that athletes will be most vulnerable to terrorist attacks while in transit to and from the venues.
The BCCI ruled out participation in the 2010 Commonwealth Games citing a packed schedule of the Indian team.
The Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games is fine with Queen Elizabeth II skipping the event in October and is ready to welcome Prince Charles as a representative of the royal family, OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi said on Sunday.
With eyes firmly set on this year's Commonwealth Games, India's ace squash player Saurav Ghosal has decided to cut down on international tournaments to remain injury-free before the October 3-14 quadrennial event in New Delhi.
M C Mary Kom managed to surpass even herself, obliterating everyone and everything else along the way in a tumultuous year for the sport.
According to sources, around 25 hotels would benefit from this move and as a consequence the government would have access to 2,000 more rooms for the Commonwealth Games.
In a surprise move on Tuesday, India's women's hockey coach Harendra Singh was named chief coach of the men's team while incumbent men's in-charge Sjoerd Marijne was sent back to the women's camp -- a fallout of the poor show by Manpreet Singh and Co. in the Commonwealth Games.
Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI) secretary Cyrus Poncha said that he does not see any tournament being conducted before September.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom entered the final in the 48 kg classs at the Commonwealth Games, beating Sri Lanka's Anusha Dilrukshi , on Wednesday.
A summary of Indian athletes' showing at the Commonwealth Games on Day 3.
Union Sports Minister M S Gill on Monday inspected the 2010 Commonwealth Games venues in New Delhi and expressed satisfaction at the pace of preparation for the quadrennial sporting extravaganza.
Australia on Wednesday said it has apprehensions over security arrangements for the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi next year but maintained that India has assured all necessary precautions will be taken.
Prince Edward has given a thumbs-up to the infrastructure coming up for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the capital, the organisers claimed in New Delhi, on Sunday. The Prince showed interest in understanding the infrastructure development in Delhi and the level of the preparedness of the Organising Committee.
Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell, who had only last month expressed concern at the tardy preparation for the 2010 edition of the Games, is now satisfied with the progress, organisers claimed on Saturday.
The BCCI has not got the clearance to include cricket in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games
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