Statement by Michael Fennell
September 27th 2010 00:27
:
Michael Fennell
Link: www.cwgdelhi2010.org/
Statement by Michael Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation
Delhi, September 26, 2010
Today (September 26), there have been a number of incorrect media reports and allegations about the CGF CEO, Mike Hooper.
I spent the entire morning and early afternoon in meetings with Mr Hooper, during which time he allegedly made certain comments, and I can personally attest that at no time did Mr Hooper make any reference at all to the people of India, let alone disparaging ones.
Further, neither he, nor the CGF, has ever demanded a 24-hour dedicated Games lane.
The CGF is seeking to keep lanes dedicated for Games use for a specified period, as per the bid commitment. It is standard practice that, during operational times, Games lanes are exclusively available for Games related vehicles.
Mr Hooper has also been wrongly criticised in some areas of the media today for comments he made on Television New Zealand that were reported as being critical of the Indian Government.
Far from any emotive commentary, Mr Hooper merely stated the fact that the responsibility for delivering and operating the Games lies with authorities in India, as per the Host City contract.
What I have witnessed today is a viscous and totally unwarranted attack on Mr Hooper based on entirely false reports.
Mike Hooper has my full support. He has always worked tirelessly for the good of the Games. Now it is time for us all to concentrate on delivering a good Games, for the athletes of the Commonwealth and the people of India.
Michael Fennell
President
September 26, 2010
Statement by Michael Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation
Delhi, September 25, 2010
Since arriving in Delhi late Thursday, I have spent my first 24 hours consulting widely and viewing the Village first hand.
I am pleased to report that since my media statement of September 21 there has been significant progress in preparing the Village for your arrival.
However, there is still much to be done, and the next 24 hours will be crucial.
It is fair to say that there have been many challenges for those countries that arrived in Delhi early, as the Village was not completely ready for use.
This was a most unfortunate, indeed unsatisfactory, situation, and the Chef de Missions of the those teams, along with their staff, have experienced undue hardship, and I thank them for their commitment to making the Village, and the Games, work.
While all acknowledge that progress has been made, we are anxious to see that all matters are satisfactorily completed so athletes find an appropriate and acceptable environment on arrival.
On my inspection of the Village there was evidence that a great deal of activity was taking place with cleaners and maintenance staff at work.
Many aspects of the Village are very good, the International Zone is of a high quality and the dining room has a wide range of appealing foods for all cultures.
I also met with the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretary today. Present were a wide range of key officials from both the Indian and Delhi Governments.
I outlined to them that some of the key concerns of the CGF and our member countries remain as clarity on fire evacuation plans, the installation of rate card items, transportation operations, and the communication infrastructure, particularly an effective WiFi system.
The CGF has emphasised that all countries must have a consistent standard of accommodation throughout the Village.
We will continue to monitor progress and keep pressure on the Organising Committee and the other responsible parties looking to ensure that all problems are resolved.
While we appreciate what has been done in the past few days, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done, which must be sustained throughout the Games.
Michael Fennell
President
September 25, 2010
Michael Fennell arrives in Delhi
September 25, 2010
CGF President, Michael Fennell, has arrived in Delhi and will spend the day (Friday, September 24) attending a busy schedule of meetings.
After a detailed briefing from CGF staff this morning, Mr Fennell will attend the Chefs de Mission meeting at the Commonwealth Games Village to meet first hand the leaders of those countries already in Delhi.
Mr Fennell will then undertake a detailed tour of the Village, getting a first hand understanding of the situation.
At 2pm, the President will meet with the Indian Cabinet Secretary, KM Chandrasekhar.
It is good to be in Delhi, and the briefing I received from my CEO, Mike Hooper, last night, was that considerable improvements have been made within the Village, with further significant resources deployed by Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Dikshit, to make good what was a concerning situation," Mr Fennell said.
I am looking forward to spending the morning with my colleagues from the Commonwealth Games movement and evaluating the situation with all the key stakeholders.
I am certainly pleased to arrive in Delhi with the news that Australia has moved into the Village to get ready for the arrival of their athletes, and with the confirmation late yesterday that England and Wales will be on their way to Delhi shortly.
Already so many athletes from around the Commonwealth have started their journey to Delhi.
Our job across the next week is to help ensure that all the corrective work is completed in good time.
We must ensure that a suitable environment is provided to ensure the welfare of the athletes and their support staff.
It is vital that all remedial work that has already started continues with the greatest urgency,” Mr Fennell said.
PLEASE NOTE
Mr Fennell and Mr Hooper will not be doing any media interviews today, Friday, September 24. They will be holding a media conference on Saturday, September 25.
Statement by Michael Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation
CGF statement, September 21, 2010
2010 Commonwealth Games Village
Final preparations for the Commonwealth Games Village have been of concern to the CGF since viewing the residential zone along with a number of Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) advance parties on September 15th. Many issues remain unresolved and as such last night I wrote to the Indian Cabinet Secretary, expressing my great concern with the preparedness of the Athletes Village to welcome the teams of the Commonwealth for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The Village is the cornerstone of any Games and the athletes deserve the best possible environment to prepare for their competition.
Many nations that have already sent their advanced parties to set up within the Village have made it abundantly clear that, as of the afternoon of September 20th, the Commonwealth Games Village is seriously compromised.
Since the nations have been arriving at the Village they have been all commented favorably on the appearance of the International Zone and the main dining area.
However, the condition of the residential zone has shocked the majority of CGAs that are in Delhi and, despite their attempts to work with the Organising Committee in a constructive manner since arriving on September 15th, significant operational matters remain unaddressed.
The problems are arising because deadlines for the completion of the Village have been consistently pushed out. Now, the high security around the site, while vital, is slowing progress and complicating solutions.
Security remains of the utmost importance to the CGF and our advisors continue to monitor the situation. Currently, this matter remains on track.
However, with the Village to be officially opened on September 23rd, timely acceptable solutions to prepare for the arrival of athletes are of paramount importance.
The CGF has asked the Cabinet Secretary to immediately deploy the necessary resources to fix all the outstanding issues to an acceptable level.
CGF CEO, Mike Hooper, and his staff are already in Delhi and are keeping me constantly informed of the situation and developments.
I will arrive in Delhi at the earliest opportunity so as to assess the situation first hand and provide our member countries and territories with a frank assessment of the situation.
The CGF remains committed to open and transparent communication with our members and their athletes.
Michael Fennell
President
21 September 2010
Delhi, September 26, 2010
Today (September 26), there have been a number of incorrect media reports and allegations about the CGF CEO, Mike Hooper.
I spent the entire morning and early afternoon in meetings with Mr Hooper, during which time he allegedly made certain comments, and I can personally attest that at no time did Mr Hooper make any reference at all to the people of India, let alone disparaging ones.
Further, neither he, nor the CGF, has ever demanded a 24-hour dedicated Games lane.
The CGF is seeking to keep lanes dedicated for Games use for a specified period, as per the bid commitment. It is standard practice that, during operational times, Games lanes are exclusively available for Games related vehicles.
Mr Hooper has also been wrongly criticised in some areas of the media today for comments he made on Television New Zealand that were reported as being critical of the Indian Government.
Far from any emotive commentary, Mr Hooper merely stated the fact that the responsibility for delivering and operating the Games lies with authorities in India, as per the Host City contract.
What I have witnessed today is a viscous and totally unwarranted attack on Mr Hooper based on entirely false reports.
Mike Hooper has my full support. He has always worked tirelessly for the good of the Games. Now it is time for us all to concentrate on delivering a good Games, for the athletes of the Commonwealth and the people of India.
Michael Fennell
President
September 26, 2010
Statement by Michael Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation
Since arriving in Delhi late Thursday, I have spent my first 24 hours consulting widely and viewing the Village first hand.
I am pleased to report that since my media statement of September 21 there has been significant progress in preparing the Village for your arrival.
However, there is still much to be done, and the next 24 hours will be crucial.
It is fair to say that there have been many challenges for those countries that arrived in Delhi early, as the Village was not completely ready for use.
This was a most unfortunate, indeed unsatisfactory, situation, and the Chef de Missions of the those teams, along with their staff, have experienced undue hardship, and I thank them for their commitment to making the Village, and the Games, work.
While all acknowledge that progress has been made, we are anxious to see that all matters are satisfactorily completed so athletes find an appropriate and acceptable environment on arrival.
On my inspection of the Village there was evidence that a great deal of activity was taking place with cleaners and maintenance staff at work.
Many aspects of the Village are very good, the International Zone is of a high quality and the dining room has a wide range of appealing foods for all cultures.
I also met with the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretary today. Present were a wide range of key officials from both the Indian and Delhi Governments.
I outlined to them that some of the key concerns of the CGF and our member countries remain as clarity on fire evacuation plans, the installation of rate card items, transportation operations, and the communication infrastructure, particularly an effective WiFi system.
The CGF has emphasised that all countries must have a consistent standard of accommodation throughout the Village.
We will continue to monitor progress and keep pressure on the Organising Committee and the other responsible parties looking to ensure that all problems are resolved.
While we appreciate what has been done in the past few days, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done, which must be sustained throughout the Games.
Michael Fennell
President
September 25, 2010
Michael Fennell arrives in Delhi
September 25, 2010
CGF President, Michael Fennell, has arrived in Delhi and will spend the day (Friday, September 24) attending a busy schedule of meetings.
After a detailed briefing from CGF staff this morning, Mr Fennell will attend the Chefs de Mission meeting at the Commonwealth Games Village to meet first hand the leaders of those countries already in Delhi.
Mr Fennell will then undertake a detailed tour of the Village, getting a first hand understanding of the situation.
At 2pm, the President will meet with the Indian Cabinet Secretary, KM Chandrasekhar.
It is good to be in Delhi, and the briefing I received from my CEO, Mike Hooper, last night, was that considerable improvements have been made within the Village, with further significant resources deployed by Delhi Chief Minister, Mrs Dikshit, to make good what was a concerning situation," Mr Fennell said.
I am looking forward to spending the morning with my colleagues from the Commonwealth Games movement and evaluating the situation with all the key stakeholders.
I am certainly pleased to arrive in Delhi with the news that Australia has moved into the Village to get ready for the arrival of their athletes, and with the confirmation late yesterday that England and Wales will be on their way to Delhi shortly.
Already so many athletes from around the Commonwealth have started their journey to Delhi.
Our job across the next week is to help ensure that all the corrective work is completed in good time.
We must ensure that a suitable environment is provided to ensure the welfare of the athletes and their support staff.
It is vital that all remedial work that has already started continues with the greatest urgency,” Mr Fennell said.
Mr Fennell and Mr Hooper will not be doing any media interviews today, Friday, September 24. They will be holding a media conference on Saturday, September 25.
Statement by Michael Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation
CGF statement, September 21, 2010
2010 Commonwealth Games Village
Final preparations for the Commonwealth Games Village have been of concern to the CGF since viewing the residential zone along with a number of Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) advance parties on September 15th. Many issues remain unresolved and as such last night I wrote to the Indian Cabinet Secretary, expressing my great concern with the preparedness of the Athletes Village to welcome the teams of the Commonwealth for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The Village is the cornerstone of any Games and the athletes deserve the best possible environment to prepare for their competition.
Many nations that have already sent their advanced parties to set up within the Village have made it abundantly clear that, as of the afternoon of September 20th, the Commonwealth Games Village is seriously compromised.
Since the nations have been arriving at the Village they have been all commented favorably on the appearance of the International Zone and the main dining area.
However, the condition of the residential zone has shocked the majority of CGAs that are in Delhi and, despite their attempts to work with the Organising Committee in a constructive manner since arriving on September 15th, significant operational matters remain unaddressed.
Security remains of the utmost importance to the CGF and our advisors continue to monitor the situation. Currently, this matter remains on track.
However, with the Village to be officially opened on September 23rd, timely acceptable solutions to prepare for the arrival of athletes are of paramount importance.
The CGF has asked the Cabinet Secretary to immediately deploy the necessary resources to fix all the outstanding issues to an acceptable level.
CGF CEO, Mike Hooper, and his staff are already in Delhi and are keeping me constantly informed of the situation and developments.
I will arrive in Delhi at the earliest opportunity so as to assess the situation first hand and provide our member countries and territories with a frank assessment of the situation.
The CGF remains committed to open and transparent communication with our members and their athletes.
Michael Fennell
President
21 September 2010
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