/ 5 October 2010

Glitches keep haunting Games

Commonwealth Games organisers insisted on Tuesday that empty stadiums would fill up as India brought some cheer to home fans with two gold medals.

Glitches continue to haunt the event for nations and territories of the former British Empire, with row after row of empty seats a major concern.

Embattled organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi blamed the lack of spectators on ticket booths not being set up outside stadiums, and said the blunder had been fixed.

“We have set up in every stadium new ticket box offices,” said Kalmadi. “There were problems, some of the ticket stalls were not put up, but all the stalls are up now at all the stadiums. The situation has been rectified.”

Despite this, Indians were celebrating their first gold medals.

Beijing Olympics gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and Munich World Championships bronze medalist Gagan Narang opened their account by winning the men’s 10m air rifle pairs.

They scored a total of 1 193 points for a new Games record, with England’s James Huckle and Kenny Parr taking silver and Bangladesh’s Mohammed Asif Hossain Khan and Abdullah Hel Baki scoring bronze.

Their success was quickly followed by Anisa Syyed and Rahi Sarnobat overcoming a strong challenge from Australia to win the women’s 25m Pistol Pairs.

Elsewhere, Singapore bagged its first medal with Swee Hon Lim and Bin Gai clinching the men’s 50m Pistol Pair title ahead of India and Trinidad and Tobago.

“I wasn’t expecting my victory,” said Lim. “I was only concentrating on my game during the finals and not thinking about the scoreboard.”

The cycling competition, notable for the big names missing as much as those here, got underway with Australia’s Anna Meares winning the 500m time-trial in the absence of England’s Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton.

Fellow Australian Kaarle McCulloch took silver with Becky James of Wales was third.

Olympic champ withdrawss
Among the men, Australia’s Jack Bobridge contests the 4 000m individual pursuit with the golden door opened for him by the withdrawals of England’s Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins and Welshman Geraint Thomas.

The men’s 1 000m time trial crown is also up for grabs.

Organisers will be hoping top seeded men’s tennis player Somdev Devvarman of India will draw the crowds when he faces Bahamian Devin Mullings.

Only a few hundred people turned up on Monday to watch Indian stars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes, and those that made the effort discovered there was no water to drink in the blazing sun, according to reports.

Adding to the problems, the huge screen on centre court wasn’t working because the equipment is yet to be set up, the Times of India said.

Out at the boxing stadium, the official weigh-in was to take place after farcial scenes forced it to be abandoned on Monday after faulty scales showed most of the fighters were too heavy.

It was the latest crisis at the heavily fortified Games, which have been dogged by worries over threats of terror attacks, corruption, construction delays, and outbreaks of dengue fever.

Elsewhere, Australia looks set to continue its dominance in the pool.

The women’s 50m butterfly and 50m breaststroke are being contested, as are the men’s 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle.

Perth gymnast Lauren Mitchell, meanwhile, spearheads Australia’s quest to defend their women’s team gold.

England and Canada will provide the competition but the English are weakened after leaving world champion Beth Tweddle at home to prepare for the world championships.- AFP