Games countries play

BIZSPORT

The focus for the businessmen across the globe is China and India. And yet the attitude in both these countries is so different that one begins to wonder how things actually get done in India.

Everyday, there is some reference to India's staging of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The government has been planning everything "" from the completion of the final phase of the Metro Rail system to overbridges and flyovers and express highways in the National Capital Region "" in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Game.

The irony is that Delhi is under scrutiny from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) because it is way behind schedule. Randhir Singh, a member of International Olympic Committee (IOC), Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Indian Olympic Association (IOA), CGF and scores of others, has gone on record saying Delhi is way behind schedule.

Singh said this week the committee should have been in place in 2003, but the Games Federation had extended the deadline four times.

The delay is on account of the tussle between the IOA and the central government. In principle, the right to form the organising committee lies with the IOA, but the government, since it will be funding a good part of the Games, wants to have it own men in key positions, and so installed sports minister Sunil Dutt at the helm "" a move that did not go down well with the IOA.

Delhi won the right to the Games, beating Hamilton 46-22 in a controversial vote in 2003. The controversy was over whether it was right of Delhi to offer to pay each of the 72 Commonwealth countries a sum of $100,000 each to prepare their teams for the Games.

Hamilton had cried foul, but now there is criticism within India over whether it is 'correct' to pay such monies to rich countries like Australia, Britain and Canada.

It is still early to say whether the CGF will take away the Games from India but the warning has been sounded. A CGF supervision panel will visit India on February 2.

Meanwhile, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are set to smash sponsorship records with sponsorship in excess of $1billion. Six major sponsors, including Volkswagen and Bank of China, have agreed to spend $600million, and there are others.

Gerhard Heiberg, chairman of the IOC marketing commission, has reported that Beijing will reach the $1billion figure.

Operational costs of the 2008 Games had been budgeted at $1.609 billion besides input on infrastructure and other Olympic-related fields, which could reach $37 billion.

Following 9/11 in the US and SARS in 2003, Beijing increased the budget for security and health. The new budget to IOC is to be presented in May this year.

Thus far, preparations have been impressive. They include plans to carry the Olympic torch over Mount Everest, first-class infrastructure, high-profile cultural events, pollution free electric transport and clean performances from the home athletes.

Truly, they wish to showcase China and announce their arrival as a superpower in every sense.