The delay in setting up the organising committee for the 2010 Commonwealth Games could cost the country the high-profile event, a top sports official said at New Delhi on Tuesday.
Commonwealth Games Federation Vice President Randhir Singh, who is also the Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association, said the formation of the committee had already been delayed by over a year and if it is not formed at the earliest, the federation would be forced to take some stringent action, including taking away the Games from India.
"We are already one year behind. We were supposed to form the committee by December 31, 2003. We have already asked for additional time to form the committee thrice and it is high time that the committee is formed," he told reporters at New Delhi on Tuesday.
"If this delay continues, it is going to cost us the Games."
The initial deadline was first extended to March 2004 and then June before India asked the CWG federation to give them time till December 2004 to form the organising committee during the Federation meeting at Athens in August.
However, the formation of the committee has been in jeopardy and insiders say it could be a result of the tussle between the Government and the IOA on who should head it.
It may be recalled that a few months ago, Sports Minister Sunil Dutt had announced that the Government had made him the chairman of the organising committee to which the IOA had taken strong objections saying it was their prerogative to form a committee.
The IOA had also declared that their President Suresh Kalmadi would be the chairman of the organising committee during their Annual General Body meeting in November and had been authorised to form the committee.
But no headway has been made since then and with CWG Federation President Mike Fennel due to visit the national capital on February 2 to take stock of the preparations, the IOA is under tremendous pressure to form the committee before that.
Asked what is causing the delay, Randhir Singh said the IOA is waiting for the names of the three Government nominees on the executive committee and that even after repeated reminders, there had been no response as yet.
He said he had now asked the IOA President to go ahead and form the committee instead of waiting for the Government nominees as the delay could affect India's chances of hosting the Games.
"The delay may also show us in bad light in our bid for the 2014 Asian Games and 2016 Olympic Games," he added.
Randhir Singh, however, sidestepped a question on whether the issue of who should head the committee is causing the delay and said under the host city contract, signed by the IOA and the government, it was clearly mentioned that the national federation has the right to form the committee.
"It is not the issue of the government [support]. It is just the system which is the problem. We create a hue and cry when we don't win a medal. But then we go to sleep."
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