Things are heating up at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast as the rush for medals gets more intense on an action-packed Day 4 on Sunday.
Faced with problems of non-cooperation and lackadaisical approach from some of the departments, the Central Vigilance Commission may inspect Commonwealth Games venues and the OC office to gather papers and possible vital evidence to further its probe.
A couple of months back the Games Organising Committee announced on its web site that it hiring staff for various positions. But with exactly 373 days for the Games to open it is still to enlist the required people.
Despite setting an ambitious target of generating revenues in excess of Rs 900 crore (Rs 9 billion), the organisers of the 'Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi' expect the event to be "revenue neutral", meaning all that is earned through TV rights and other commercial deals will be spent on the game.
Australian sprinter Gout Gout made history at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney, becoming the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier in the 200 metres with a time of 19.67 seconds.
Indian junior women's hockey coach Tim White emphasises the need for physical improvement to match international standards, while senior team coach Sjoerd Marijne highlights the importance of mental resilience and finishing skills.
Legendary American athlete Michael Johnson joined the chorus of renowned sports persoanlities who have criticised the preparation of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi by saying they were "doomed from the start".
Welsh world and Olympic champion Geraint Thomas, Isle of Man rider Peter Kennaugh and the England pair of Ben Swift and Ian Stannard, said they were opting out of the Games as they feared for their health after reading reports about the dengue outbreak and the "filthy" conditions at the Games Village.
Photos from the 20th Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
The labour shortage for the Games is about 20 per cent, according to Rakesh Mehta, chief secretary of the Delhi city government. He told Business Standard several projects are suffering due to this problem.
The government has asked central PSUs to sponsor the Commonwealth Games even as state-owned firms, including the Railways, have already committed Rs 200 crore (rs 2 billion) for a "good cause".
Olympian Sift Kaur Samra is confident that shooting will be included as a discipline when India hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and will significantly add to the country's overall medal tally.
Allegations of corruption in construction and procurement need to be investigated and all those responsible brought to book.
Speaking at the soft launch of the Commonwealth Games Village on Wednesday, organizing committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said Delhi is ready to host the athletes for the October 3-14 extravaganza.
Critics of the Commonwealth Games have yet another reason to pan the event which will ensure the next couple of months are just not the right time to get married in Delhi.
Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Chairman Suresh Kalmadi said he was happy with the progress made in the Games Village as it got ready to welcome the first of the 7000 athletes and team officials who will reside there during the Commonwealth Games.
It was a mere formality for the general assembly of 74 members to put a seal of approval on India's bid after Ahmedabad was recommended as the proposed host of the centenary edition by the Commonwealth Sport's Executive Board last month. India last hosted the CWG in 2010 in Delhi.
Olympic champions Usain Bolt and Mo Farah lead a cast of the world's leading athletes descending on Glasgow to compete in the Commonwealth Games starting in Scotland's biggest city on Wednesday.
The opening ceremony of the Delhi Commonwealth Games, at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, on October 3, will have a spiritual touch. Azaan, Vedic and Buddhist chants will be played in the background as performers, wearing costumes depicting different aspects of the pluralist character of India, present the theme song Swagatan in different Indian languages.
Cricket's absence from Commonwealth Games will continue at least until the 2018 Games in Australia after the International Cricket Council (ICC) turned down an invitation from the governing body of the multi-sport event.
Team India will compete in 15 sporting disciplines as well as four disciplines in the para sports category.
What India projected at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games, says Sheela Bhatt, was a huge Indian mela in all its old shades.
Australia's Ryan Napoleon has been suspended from swimming for three months following a positive test for a banned substance after he was given the wrong asthma inhaler, Swimming Australia said on Thursday.
Disappointed with the controversy-ridden build-up for this year's Commonwealth Games, Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa on Friday said the shoddy preparation for the quadrennial sporting extravaganza is nothing short of a national "shame".
The Commonwealth Games have been a happy hunting ground for Indian athletes, who shine in the absence of world-class competition. Some young Indians can once again relish the opportunity to go for gold, feels Dhruv Munjal.
The Indian Army has voiced fears to Washington that Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba may attempt to strike at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. The fears were conveyed to top US military commander Admiral Mike Mullen during his meetings in New Delhi. North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's commanders believe that the LeT is behind a string of attacks and influx of fighters into eastern Afghanistan.
For the first time in 44 years, Queen Elizabeth II will miss the Commonwealth Games owing to 'heavy workload', leaving it to Prince Charles to represent the British Royal family in Delhi this October.
A 270-strong contingent, including 186 athletes and 43 coaches, will represent India at the Melbourne Games.
Athletes to watch at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games:
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on Wednesday reaffirmed that Delhi will host the 2010 edition of the sporting extravaganza and scotched rumours that an alternative venue was being considered in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai. CGF president Michael Fennel, in a statement, conveyed his deepest sympathy to the victims of the Mumbai attacks and dismissed media reports that the federation was looking for a stand-by venue.
The IOA was ready to make a presentation to the 2026 organisers to explain to them how including those two disciplines could 'increase the stature of the event'
Schedule of Indian athletes in the 20th Commonwealth Games on Monday (July 29).
Indian boxing legend Mary Kom is considering a move to professional boxing after age restrictions ended her amateur career. She remains committed to grassroots development and praises government initiatives to promote sports and fitness.
The Indian team are in Pool B along with Pakistan, Malaysia, Wales, England, and will begin their campaign on April 7 against Pakistan.
Intelligence Bureau sleuths have unearthed yet another target of David Headley, the American national and Lashkar-e-Tayiba operative who has been arrested for carrying out terror activities on Indian soil.
Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu delivered a statement performance, bettering three of her own national records while clinching the women's 48kg title at the National Weightlifting Championships in Modinagar on Wednesday.
Media reports have cited a lack of suitable facilities as the reason behind Birmingham's decision to axe shooting which has featured at every Games since 1966, with the exception of Edinburgh in 1970.
A trio of top British athletes, including world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu and Olympic 400 metres gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu, pulled out of the troubled Commonwealth Games in India on Tuesday.
Seema Punia gets 16-month ban for failing dope test
