GAMES

Source: www.insidethegames.com

By Duncan Mackay in Kuala Lumpur

Hambantota were the first of the cities campaigning to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games to arrive here today to prepare to formally deliver their bid books.

The delegation from Sril Lanka arrived having already presented a copy of the important document to the country's President Mahinda Rajapaksa before they left at a special ceremony at the the Temple Trees in Colombo.

The bid book, which outlines the plans for the Games, including details on transport, accommodation and venues, is due to be officially handed over to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) next Wednesday (May 11).

Hambantota's only rivals, the Gold Coast, are due to arrive in the Malyasian capital tomorrow.

Each city is also due to make a 20-minute presentation when it delivers its book.

"We are pleased to be here in Kuala Lumpur and are looking forward to presenting our exciting plans to the Commonwealth Games Federation," Hambantota 2018 chief executive Nalin Attygalle told insidethegames.

Lots will also be drawn to determine the order of presentations when a decision is made at the CGF Assembly on November 11 in St Kitts and Nevis.

Contact the writer of this story at duncan.mackay@insidethegames.biz.

Source: www.commonwealthgames.ca

In the first year, there were three who went to the Caribbean and the Americas. In the second year, five more went to Africa. And now, in the third year of Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC)’s groundbreaking Capacity Support Program (CSP), 15 talented young Canadians will be placed throughout the Commonwealth—from the Caribbean and the Americas to Africa, Asia and Oceania.

This innovative sport development program, which launched as a pilot program in 2009, is co-funded by the Commonwealth Games Federation and, this year, by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Olympic Solidarity. Under the CSP, young Canadians with sport administration backgrounds are sent to work as Capacity Support Officers (CSOs) with Commonwealth Games Associations and National Olympic Committees in developing countries.

The program’s goal is to augment the sport management capabilities of these organizations, thus reinforcing CGC’s mandate of encouraging international development through sport. In addition to assisting their host organizations, seven CSP interns from the first and second years of the program worked as part of the Results Management Team during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi last October.

“We are extremely excited about this amazing group of young people who will be working as CSOs throughout the Commonwealth over the next year,” says Carla Thachuk, Director of International Programs at Commonwealth Games Canada. “Not only will our counterparts in these 15 countries benefit from the energy and expertise they bring, but the interns themselves will benefit from an international experience that will be invaluable to them as they go on to develop their careers.”
The third team of Capacity Support Officers—including four past CSOs who successfully reapplied to the program—and their assignments are:

Natalie Brett (the Falkland Islands Overseas Games Association): A native of Ottawa, Natalie holds a Master of Science in Sports Management from Bournemouth University in the U.K. and a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science from Concordia University in Montreal. Since 2009, she has been a Program Coordinator with KidsSport Ottawa.

Kristine Deacon (the Grenada Olympic Committee): A former competitive swimmer, Kristine has coached for the Cambridge Aquajets swim club in her hometown of Cambridge, Ont. since 2004. In 2010, she completed an Honours Arts degree in Canadian Studies and Global Studies at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, ON and volunteered at the Vancouver Olympics.

Chantelle Grant (the Bermuda National Olympic Committee): Chantelle grew up in Mississauga, Ont., and holds a Bachelor of Sport Management degree from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont. A former competitive gymnast, Chantelle first travelled to Bermuda to work with its National Olympic Committee in 2009 in the first year of the Capacity Support Program.

Matt Hill (the Antigua and Barbuda Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association): A former Red Cross Water Safety Instructor and avid sports fan, Hill is graduating this year with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) in Waterloo, Ont. The Burlington, Ont., native was actively involved at WLU as a student ambassador and has also worked for Tourism Burlington.

Stephanie Johnson (the St Vincent and the Grenadines National Olympic Committee): A resident of Sudbury, Ont., Johnson is in her final year of the Honours Bachelor of Commerce (Sports Administration) program at that city’s Laurentian University. In 2010, she interned at the Georgia State Games in Atlanta as an Event and Volunteer Co-ordinator, and later at at Capital Sports Management in Ottawa as a Program Manager.

Duane Louis (the Samoa Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee): A native of Victoria, B.C., Louis recently completed a year-long placement with the Swaziland Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association as part of the Capacity Support Program. He holds a Sport Management Diploma from Victoria’s Camosun College and, in addition to working with Aboriginal Team B.C. during the 2008 North American Indigenous Games, he was volunteer Technical Manager for the Africa Zone IV Games, held in Swaziland this past December.

Paddye Magill (the Seychelles National Olympic Committee): Magill, who grew up in Ottawa, Ont., is returning to Seychelles this year for a second placement under the Capacity Support Program. A former basketball coach and player, Magill completed her Bachelor of Sport Management degree at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., and previously worked at the Ottawa Gymnastics Centre.

Ella Mawdsley (the Tonga Commonwealth Games Association): A former competitive biathlete, Mawdsley recently wrapped up a year-long placement with the Lesotho National Olympic Committee as part of the Capacity Support Program. Mawdsley, who grew up in Fort Smith, N.W.T., holds a Bachelor of Management (Marketing) degree from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta and previously worked as an Account Manager for the Outcrop Communications Group, which has offices across northern Canada.

Wendy Moar (the Uganda Olympic Committee): Moar, who lives in Matlock, Man., has worked as Interlake Region Manager for Sport Manitoba since 2004. In addition to volunteering as accreditation manager for several hockey tournaments, Moar has coached cross-country running at the high-school level and earned a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Kathleen Reeves (the Turks & Caicos Commonwealth Games Association): Reeves, who hails from Ottawa, has a Master of Arts degree with a specialization in Sport Management and a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa, where she was also a Member of the Varsity Rugby team. An avid participant, official and volunteer for a wide array of sports, she has worked as Account Manager for the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club since 2008.

Jackie Snell (the Dominica Olympic Committee): A Victoria, B.C., native, Snell holds a Bachelor of Recreation and Health Education from the University of Victoria, where she was a member of the Varsity Soccer Team. Since earning her degree in 2010, she has held various positions within the University of Victoria’s Department of Athletics and Recreation, and worked in the Athletes’ Village during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Jordan Thomson (the Guyana National Olympic Committee): Currently a resident of Toronto, Thomson has worked with Right to Play since June 2010, first as a Program Coordinator and later as a Training Consultant. A former professional baseball player with the San Francisco Giants from 2004 to 2006, he holds a Master of Science, Sport and Recreation Business Management degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University in Boston.

Colin Whitmee (the Bahamas National Olympic Committee): Whitmee, who hails from Ottawa, has worked and volunteered for a variety of sport organizations, including Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada and the Ottawa Senators. He has a graduate certificate in Sport Business Management from Algonquin College in Ottawa as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B. and previously taught English in South Korea.

Jessica Wolfenden (the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee): In 2009, Wolfenden graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maine in Orono, where she won a full athletic scholarship to play NCAA Division 1 volleyball. Most recently, she has worked as a teacher with the Play House Learning Centre in her hometown of Ottawa, as well as a beach volleyball instructor and official with City of Ottawa—Parks and Recreation.

Denise Yuen (the Commonwealth Games Association of Sri Lanka): Since 2008, Yuen, who hails from Coquitlam, B.C., has worked as Manager of Community Development with Special Olympics British Columbia and currently volunteers as a snowboard instructor for Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports. She holds a Bachelors degree in Human Kinetics from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from that city’s Simon Fraser University.
The first three CSOs left Canada in September 2009 and completed their 14-month service in Bermuda, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago late last year. Five others returned from a year-long placement in the African countries of Lesotho, Swaziland, Seychelles, Zambia and Botswana in March of this year.
The next placements will run until from April 18, 2011 to March 31, 2012.

Source: www.ap.org

NEW DELHI -- Indian officials arrested the chief organizer of last year's Commonwealth Games and two other officials on Monday as part of a corruption investigation into the scandal-plagued competition in New Delhi.

India had hoped that the Games would help it herald its rise as a superpower, but instead it was deeply embarrassed by corruption allegations, construction delays and cost overruns as the budget ballooned to billions of dollars.

Organizing Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, the highest-ranking official arrested in the probe, has been charged with conspiracy for allegedly favoring a Swiss company in the purchase of equipment for timing and scoring events, Central Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Dharini Mishra said.

The bureau - the Indian equivalent of the FBI - claims the government was bilked out of 1.41 billion rupees ($31 million), paid to Swiss Timings Ltd. for equipment available from another company for much less.

The bureau said competition for the contract had been wrongfully restricted "in a premeditated and planned manner," with no clear criteria for selecting the winning bids and alleged coercion and threats against those making the final decision.

Two of Kalmadi's aides on the committee - Lalit Bhanot and V.K. Verma - were arrested last month in the same case.

Kalmadi is due to appear in court Tuesday for a custody hearing.

He was detained at the bureau's headquarters after answering investigators' questions Monday morning. Investigators then arrested two more officials - Surjit Lal and A.S.V. ( ASVI - news - people ) Prasad - and said more suspects would be taken into custody in coming days.

The staging of the Games - which cost India about 700 billion rupees ($15 billion) despite an initial estimate of 18.9 billion rupees ($412 million) - has unleashed months of bitter allegations and cries of corruption in the handling of the event.

Australian and British companies have accused the organizing committee of delaying payments for services rendered during the Oct. 3-14 Games.

An Indian government report last month said delays, administrative inefficiency and wasteful spending had cost the country $355 million.

The report has been criticized, however, by the London-based Commonwealth Games Federation as inaccurate and unfair. Switzerland-based Event Knowledge Services, which had been hired to work on the Games, also said the report was off base in making "unsubstantiated" accusations of wrongdoing.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: www.hambantota2018.com

The Co-Chair of Sri Lanka’s bid to host its first Commonwealth Games has arrived in London to showcase Hambantota 2018 at the SportAccord International Convention.

Ajith Nivard Cabraal, also Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, is leading a delegation to the key fixture in the global sporting calendar.  More than 1,500 influential figures from international sport are gathered in the English capital until 8 April under the theme ‘Why Sport Matters’. Governor Cabraal himself sees sport as a catalyst for sustainable social and economic development and hopes to secure such benefits for the tear drop shaped nation.

He said: “Sport can be life-changing and transformational.  Its benefits reach beyond the track and field into the home, classroom and boardroom.   Education, health, infrastructure, tourism, culture, the economy and environment are all pillars of a legacy underpinning our bid.  It’s a legacy that will reach throughout our unified nation and across South Asia.  And it will be an inspiration to other emerging and developing nations and their people.”

Sri Lanka is continuing its rapid development following the end of internal conflict and the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami; Hambantota is the fast-developing coastal city in the South coast region worst hit.  Major infrastructure upgrades are already taking place in the ‘new City’ including a sea port and second international airport; a high capacity public transport system and new road network are in the pipeline.  Work has also begun on the state-of-the-art Hambantota 2018 ‘Sports City’ which will feature 90 percent of the venues and facilities for the 2018 Games.  And a new seven-year National Sports Plan sets out to create a pyramid of sporting opportunity.

Governor Cabraal’s visit follows Sri Lanka’s key role in the success of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.  The co-hosts staged nine matches – including two in Hambantota itself – and reached a thrilling final on Saturday, losing to India.  The tournament showcased the nation’s passion for sport with its organisation, infrastructure, venues and fans receiving plaudits throughout.

The CGF is due to choose the host city at its meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on 11 November 2011.  For more information on Hambantota 2018 visit: www.hambantota2018.com

-ENDS-

Notes:

About the Hambantota 2018 emblem and strapline
The Hambantota 2018 emblem features eight pairs of hands in the colours of the CGF.  Each pair of hands is pressed together, palms together and fingers pointed outwards.  This symbolises Añjali Mudrā, the hand gesture practiced throughout Asia and the continent’s eight Commonwealth members; it has the same meaning as the customary spoken Sanskrit greeting Namaste.  The design also depicts the similar Ayubowan gesture, a cultural symbol of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan hospitality.  The bid strap line is ‘Together.  From the heart.’

Source: Hambantota, Sri Lanka

A high profile delegation from Sri Lanka’s bid to host its first Commonwealth Games has arrived in Marrakech, Morocco, to present the case for Hambantota 2018 to the fifth African International Sports Convention (CISA).

The summit, which runs to 19 March, is a major feature in the African sporting calendar.  More than 300 sports professionals from across the globe are convened under the theme ‘Sport for Education & Development.’  Among them are representatives of all 19 African Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) who will be interested in synergies with Hambantota 2018’s own agenda, according to Nalin Attygalle, Chief Executive of the bid and who leads the delegation.

Mr Attygalle said: “Just as CISA aims to promote the development of African sport at school level, our bid recognises the intrinsic link between sports and education.  Sport can be life-changing and transformational.  A Hambantota Games will be a catalyst to work with schools and engage young people throughout our unified nation; we will create a pyramid of sporting opportunity in line with our new seven-year National Sports Plan.”

Education through sport is not the only goal shared by CISA and Hambantota 2018.  The conference also asks what it takes to run a bid; how major events can affect emerging cities’ development plans; and what benefits await a nation and its communities.  Sri Lanka itself wants a 2018 Games to secure long term and sustainable social and economic benefits as it continues its rapid development following the end of internal conflict and the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami; Hambantota is the fast-developing coastal city in the South coast region worst hit.  And the tear drop shaped nation also hopes to break the mould of event bidding to be an inspiration for others. 

Mr Attygalle added: “As a developing nation, a key ambition of our bid campaign is to inspire other developing and emerging nations – and their people – throughout the Commonwealth.  It is not only large and advanced economies that should be considered as host cities of major events.  We will demonstrate that we have what it takes to host a truly unique and successful 2018 Games.  By doing so, we hope to open up the opportunity for other developing countries within the Commonwealth to bid for and stage the Games in the future.”

In demonstrating to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and all CGAs that it has the ability to host an exemplary event in 2018, the Hambantota bid commits to completing all of the venues and the entire infrastructure for the Games by December 2016.  The ‘new’ city will host the South Asian Games the same year which, together with further test events throughout 2017, will act as a dress rehearsal to ensure everything is ready well in advance of 2018.

Further synergies can be drawn between Hambantota and Marrakech itself.  Like many North African cities, the latter comprises both an old fortified city (the médina) and an adjacent modern city or ville nouvelle (Gueliz).  Hambantota too promises to offer visitors in 2018 the very best of both worlds: ‘old’ world charm, natural beauty, cultural splendours and heritage coupled with the vibrancy, diversity and excitement of a new city.  The populations are both also known for a tradition of hospitality, as depicted in the Hambantota 2018 emblem1 unveiled in January by His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The trip is part of the Hambantota 2018 Organising Committee’s plans to visit Commonwealth countries in all six regions – Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, America and the Caribbean – before submitting its Candidature File or ‘Bid Book’ in Kuala Lumpur on 11 May.  Accompanying Mr Attygalle are Hon. Keheliya Rambukwella, Minister of Media and Mr Hemasiri Fernando, President NOC/CGA Sri Lanka.  A delegation last month met CGAs from the Caribbean and Americas at the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation (CACSO) in Veracruz, Mexico.

The CGF is due to choose the host city at its meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on 11 November 2011.  For more information on Hambantota 2018 visit: www.hambantota2018.com

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

The Hambantota 2018 emblem features eight pairs of hands in the colours of the CGF.  Each pair of hands is pressed together, palms together and fingers pointed outwards.  This symbolises Añjali Mudrā, the hand gesture practiced throughout Asia and the continent’s eight Commonwealth members; it has the same meaning as the customary spoken Sanskrit greeting Namaste.  The design also depicts the similar Ayubowan gesture, a cultural symbol of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan hospitality.  The bid strap line is ‘Together.  From the heart.’

The Hambantota 2018 logo and strapline are available on request as jpeg and/or eps files.

For further information on Hambantota 2018 visit www.hambantota2018.com
The 19 CGAs attending CISA are:
Botswana
Cameroon
Ghana
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nigeria
Rwanda
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Swaziland
Tanzania
The Gambia
Uganda
Zambia