A lot needs to be done: CWG Federation panel member

Delegates start visiting CWG venues

"Quite a bit of work has been done and there is still a lot more to be done," president of British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee Ephraim Penn told reporters before he was taken away by the Organising Committee officials.

Delegates from 71 Commonwealth countries are here to attend the CGF General Assembly Oct 12 and also get a first hand experience of India's preparedness for the 2010 event.

The delegates are being taken to different venues, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the inaugural ceremony for the 2010 Games is scheduled for October 3 next year. They would also inspect the upcoming Games village and Yamuna Sports Complex.

The visit of the delegates comes in the wake of CGF president Mike Fennell raising doubts over the Organising Committee's (OC) ability to host the mega event.
Fennell himself is part of the visiting delegates and would preside over the CGF executive board meeting.
Three buses carrying the delegates and a convoy of eight cars of police escorts are going around the city inspecting the 10 venues.
The media have been kept at a fair distance from the delegates and only photographers were allowed inside the security ring.

The restrictions for media got worse after Penn's reaction as the organisers were caught off guard.
Immediately thereafter, during the visit to Thyagraj Stadium, police and OC officials only allowed camera persons, banning the entry of reporters even within 500 metres of the premises.
Penn said Wednesday that security will be one of the major points on the agenda for both the executive board and the General Assembly sessions.

"Everybody has security concerns and we are following closely what is happening in this part of the world. The Mumbai terror strikes and the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore have caused some discomfort among the member countries," he said.

Penn pointed out that the challenges faced by India are similar to those faced by other countries in the past.
"All countries who have hosted the Commonwealth Games have faced such challenges while organising the Games."

The CGF assembly meeting will be held here on October 12 amid mounting fears that the Delhi Games might be a partial failure due to the tardy pace of preparations, about which even CGF President Mike Fennell has expressed concerns.

The delegates would get another chance to visit the sites on Friday, followed by the continental meetings of CGAs on Saturday.