Commonwealth Games venues yet to be declared safe

New Delhi: A senior Commonwealth Games Federation official in New Delhi has warned that essential safety certificates have still not been handed over for the athletes’ village and some sports venues.

The Games open in the Indian capital on October 3, but fears have grown that the city may fail to be ready in time. Mike Hooper, the chief executive officer of the CGF, said an interview to the CNN-IBN news channel late Sunday that "things are surely going to go down to the wire".

"Despite many promises made by the government agencies to deliver the documentation... we (the CGF) still have not been able to get them and that still remains a cause of great concern to us," he said. "You can't occupy the venue unless you have building completion certificates. People are due to arrive at the Games village from September 16.

"They can't occupy the Games village unless the building certification is there. They can't go to the venue unless venue certification is there." Hooper warned that individual events could be threatened if the safety certificates were not produced, describing the issue as "very critical".

The run-up to the Games has been dogged by delayed venues, corruption scandals and international concern ranging from dengue fever outbreaks to the risk of militant attacks.

An Indian anti-corruption body in August reported it had found a plethora of problems with construction work, including the use of poor-quality materials
and dubious contracts.

The chief technical examiner from the Central Vigilance Commission inspected 15 sites around city and found irregularities and suspect practices by contractors and public bodies.

Hooper refuted suggestions that the Games may be put off as heavy monsoon rains continued to lash New Delhi.

"There is no question of changing the dates of the Games," he said. "No postponement. Not at all. Instead of panicking about it we should focus on getting things right. We have to make sure that things that matter to the athletes are put right."