General Knowledge Quiz 2011 February 10

General Knowledge Quiz 2011 February 10

More nations postpone arrivals to Commonwealth Games

(Reuters) - More nations delayed their teams' arrivals for the Commonwealth Games in India as organisers raced against time to address security and health concerns that have already led several top athletes to pull out.

New Zealand joined Canada and Scotland in delaying its arrival in New Delhi due to poor accommodation for athletes, compounded by heavy monsoon rains and a dengue epidemic.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard highlighted security fears surrounding the Games and said athletes should decide for themselves whether or not to attend. Two foreign visitors were shot and wounded by suspected militants in the city on Sunday.

"There is obviously widespread concern about the Commonwealth Games," Gillard told reporters in Canberra.

(For a SLIDESHOW: Countdown to Delhi Games, click here)

(For more on Delhi Games, click here)

For graphical timeline: link.reuters.com/nah84p

Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell has asked for an emergency meeting, expected this evening, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to evaluate the Games in what is being seen as last ditch attempt to avoid national withdrawals.

The Games, held every four years for members of the organisation of mostly former British colonies, are estimated to have cost $3-6 billion. India had hoped to use them to display its growing global economic and political clout, rivalling China.

Instead, they have snowballed into a major embarrassment for the government, having to fend off criticism of shoddy construction, inadequate security and unfit accommodation.

In a sign of desperation, the federal government ordered the organising committee to hand over management of the Games Village, which will house 6,500 athletes, to the government.

In contrast, preparations for the Asian Games in China in November are on track, with organisers in Guangzhou handing the athletes' village over to the Asian Games authorities for sign-off earlier this week.

PRE-GAMES GLITCHES

Many sporting events have suffered glitches in the run-up to the opening ceremony, such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, and some infrastructure projects, like a new metro and international airport in Delhi, are widely praised.

But polls in the Times of India and Hindustan Times newspapers showed that a vast majority of Indians were ashamed by the state of the Games.

Leading personalities have also criticised the government and labelled organisers "buffoons" who had sullied India's image abroad as the country gains respectability on the world stage.

Singh has been accused of being out-of-touch and failing to recognise that events like the Games carry huge international prestige. Much of the Congress-led government remains focused on its rural vote, which has little interest in the Games.

"I genuinely feel sorry for what has happened and would like to apologise not only on my behalf and on behalf of the organising committee, but for everyone connected," A.K. Mattoo, Organising Committee Secretary General, told NDTV broadcaster.

"This is a collective failure," Mattoo said, in a rare admission of failure by the organisers.

The government and organisers have promised a prompt clean up. Teams start arriving this weekend for the Oct. 3 official start and so far no one has said the Games will be cancelled or delayed.

ATHLETES PULL OUT

World discus champion Dani Samuels of Australia has pulled out of the Games because of security and health concerns, as did England's world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu. Four other champions have quit due to various reasons, including injuries.

Triple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica is the highest profile athlete to skip the event.

A dengue epidemic has spread through the Indian capital, sending thousands of people to hospital.

"They (athletes who compete in numerous competitions) may not be able to sustain their performance so they find out some reason or other why they are not participating, but these things happen in every game, every competition," Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Delhi organising committee, told CNN IBN.

Scotland and Canada had already announced they were delaying sending athletes to New Delhi and Wales said it had sought guarantees that venues and athletes' accommodation were safe.

Other nations have also threatened to stay home.

On Thursday, the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) told their athletes to delay their arrival until at least next Tuesday, just 5 days before the showpiece event is due to open.

New Zealand's lawn bowls, hockey and badminton teams, and officials from cycling and athletics, were all scheduled to begin arriving in Delhi from Saturday.

However, after an inspection by NZOC President Mike Stanley and Secretary General Barry Maister on Wednesday, they pushed back their arrival dates.

"It is tremendously disappointing," Stanley said in a statement. "The long list of outstanding issues has made it clear the village will now not be ready for New Zealand athletes to move in as planned."

Images of stray dogs, stagnant water, workers urinating in public, and human faeces found at the unfinished athletes' village in central Delhi have overshadowed the successes of the Games -- the main stadium and other sporting venues.

A portion of false ceiling in the weightlifting venue caved in on Wednesday, a day after the collapse of a footbridge by the main stadium, injuring 27 workers.

"People from my place are not coming here for the Games. It is for Delhi and the people here," said Mohammad Tahir, working at the stadium but from Azamgath in the poor Uttar Pradesh state.

The event has also been plagued by security concerns.

Two foreign tourists were shot and wounded at the weekend by unknown assailants in Delhi and Australian TV broadcast how a reporter bought bomb-making devices to smuggle through security points. Indian police have denied he ever crossed a checkpoint.

CWG: Top English athletes pull out

London: There was more embarrassment on Tuesday as three top English athletes, including world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu, pulled out of the Commonwealth Games scheduled to start on October 3.

Earlier the delegations from New Zealand, Scotland and England were apalled by the filthy conditions in the Athletes Village.

IBN Live

Commonwealth Games not collapsing, says Delhi CM

Comedy of the Day........Painful

Under mounting attack over preparations for the Commonwealth Games, particularly after collapse of a foot overbridge near the main venue, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit today admitted facing "problems" but rejected the criticism that the event was collapsing.

"I would like to tell you very categorically that these minor glitches and hitches do come around....but to make out as the whole thing is collapsing - I am sorry, we do not agree with that," Dikshit told reporters.

"There will be some problems. There are some problems. But they are not insurmountable. If there is any concern or there is any problem, they will be addressed to," she said.

Asking people to remain "positive", she said national pride is involved with the event and every effort is being made to make it a success.

"This is not my Games, this is not your Games. This an event of the whole country. We will address all the concerns and drawbacks. There is no reason to worry...we should look at
it as an opportunity. Please become positive," she said.

In a major embarrassment for organisers as well as Delhi government, an under-construction foot overbridge collapsed yesterday outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue
of the Commonwealth Games, injuring 27 labourers.

Delhi government's public works department had given the
contract to a private firm to construct the overbridge.

The city government has already blacklisted the company and ordered a probe into the incident.

DNA Reports

Michael Fennell arrives tomorrow, organisers to face tough questions

The painful comedy from Indian Political Jokers continues......................

The embattled organisers of the scandal-marred Commonwealth Games will have a lot of explaining to do to their international boss Michael Fennell when he arrives in New Delhi tomorrow on the opening of the much-criticised Athletes' Village.

Commonwealth Games Federation chief Fennell had shot off a letter to cabinet secretary on Monday, detailing the "unlivable" conditions at Athletes' Village, which along with a footbridge collapse near the main Games venue yesterday, had triggered withdrawal of two high-profile athletes besides pull out threats from some countries.

Fennell, whose visit to New Delhi was scheduled earlier, had given time till tomorrow to the organisers to take immediate steps and sort out issues in the residential zone of the Village, which he said has "shocked" advance parties from New Zealand, Canada, Scotland and Ireland because of its unhygienic conditions.

There is also speculation that Fennell may meet prime minister Manmohan Singh to urge him take urgent action to save the Games.

"The final preparations for the Games Village have been of concern to the CGF since viewing the residential zone along with a number of Commonwealth Games Associations advance parties on September 15," Fennel had said in a strongly-worded statement.

"Many issues remain unresolved and I wrote to the Indian cabinet secretary, expressing my great concern with the preparedness of Athletes Village.

The condition of residential zone has shocked majority of CGAs that are in Delhi.

"However, with the Village to be officially opened on September 23, timely acceptable solutions to prepare for the arrival of athletes are of paramount importance," he said.

Within hours of CGF chief's scathing attack on the organisers, world champion Australian discus thrower Dani Samuel led the pull out bandwagon citing Sunday's gun attack on two tourists and the recent outbreak of dengue fever here.

Another world champion, England's Phillips Idowu, who was the defend his 1500m gold he won in 2006 Games, followed suit, saying that his safety is more important than the medal.

Hours before Idowu's pull out, compatriots -- Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and Melbourne Games 1500m gold medallist Lisa Dobriskey -- also decided to skip the Games due to injuries, seriously depleting the star presence in the CWG after the withdrawal of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Chris Hoy, David Rudish, Shelly-An Fraser among others.

England and New Zealand issued warnings to clean up the mess quickly if the Games is to be held while Scotland delayed their tomorrow's scheduled departure of its athletes.

Despite the scathing criticism from the CGF chief, the organising committee said that the matter was not something for which it should be ashamed of and it was due to different perceptions in standard of cleanliness.

"It (cleanliness of Games Village) is not such a big issue which we should be ashamed of. This will not affect the Games. For us and for you it is clean. But they (the foreign countries) have a different standard of cleanliness.

"It is a matter of difference in perception," secretary general of the organising committee, Lalit Bhanot said.

"Anyway, we have now upgraded the level of cleanliness which should be there according to them. We will complete the cleaning up of the Village in next two days," he said yesterday.

The build-up to the Games, starting on October 3, have been marred by a series of controversies, including corruption allegations against the organisers, threats of terror attack and dengue fever.

DNA Reports

Roof portion collapses at Commonwealth Games stadium complex

The painful comedy from Indian Political Jokers continues......................

A portion of false ceiling in the Commonwealth Games weightlifting venue in the capital caved in on Wednesday, a day after 27 workers were injured when a footbridge collapsed near the same sports complex.

"It is minor. It is only a false ceiling coming down, or parts of it. It will be corrected now," cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar, who oversees Games preparations, told CNN-IBN television.

"It is not something to be worried about ... it is not a major kind of collapse."

Local TV stations reported that no one was injured. One local journalist near the scene said the roof collapsed on the area where jurors would seat near the weightlifting stage.

Reports DNA India

Sue all political jokers for Commonwealth Games disaster

The dirty political jokers destroyed Indian image in front of थे world by looting money from games preparations.

Every Indian should protest against it.We should not allow this political rascals to live in Indian soil.Indian government should take action against looters.They have not only destroyed the games but also the dignity of Indian.

Raise your voice against it...................