05.10.2009

Delhi 2010: One year to go

With just one year to go to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, ACGA chief executive officer Perry Crosswhite says that Australians should expect the event to be staged in the “Indian way”.
 
It is anticipated the Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) will send its largest team to ever compete in an overseas campaign to Delhi, with more than 425 athletes and 175 officials expected to be selected.
 
To be held from October 3–14, the 2010 Commonwealth Games will feature 19 sports on an action-packed program, making it the largest Games to date.
 
Despite the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) recently expressing its concerns regarding operations and the Indian organisers’ ability to match the high standards set by Manchester and Melbourne, the ACGA remains confident that come Games time, the organisers will deliver a successful event.
 
“The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be an exciting and unique experience for participants and visitors,” said Crosswhite.
 
“For the future relevance of the Commonwealth Games it is very important that nations like India host the event, and do so in such a way to reflect its society and values. This diversity in the Commonwealth Games family is both a challenge and a strength.
 
“The CGF have expressed their concerns regarding venue construction and transport projects running behind, and we will see how the organisers respond to these concerns next month at the CGF assembly.”
 
“Both participants and spectators alike will go away and say it was an overall success – and that they did it with excitement and enthusiasm.”
 
Athlete security in Delhi has also been high on the agenda, an issue the ACGA has been monitoring closely. Although the ACGA are doing everything within their power to ensure the safety of the Australian team, they will leave it up to the individual sports and athletes to make the final decision.
 
“As it is with any Games or any other major sporting event, there is always a security concern,” said Crosswhite.
 
“The Indian organisers are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of participants and spectators, and we are working closely with the relevant Indian and Australian authorities.
 
“However in the end, we will leave the final decision up to the sports and the individual athletes.
 
“We cannot say that we guarantee everyone’s safety, however we can say that we’ve monitored the situation closely, that we think it is secure and that all necessary steps have been taken.”
 
Australia has an illustrious record at the Commonwealth Games. Since Auckland in 1990, where Australia claimed 52 gold and 162 medals in total, Australia has improved its overall medal tally at every edition of the past five Games.
 
Australia’s best performance was on home soil in Melbourne in 2006, where 84 gold medals were secured for a total haul of 221 medals. Crosswhite said next year the Australian team would endeavour to at least match that effort in Delhi, however it would be a difficult assignment.
 
“The aim of the 2010 Australian team will be to better our performance in Melbourne and win at least 221 medals, however this will be a significant challenge,” he said. 
 
“In Delhi there will be no home advantage, the program now includes wrestling and archery, two sports which Australia hasn’t been traditionally strong in, whilst basketball and triathlon have been dropped.
 
“Next year we will also face a challenge to our previous run of dominance from England. Their sports and athletes have been provided with a significant amount of funding from the UK Government seeking success in London at the 2012 Olympics.
 
“As well as the old foes, challenges to our 2010 medal tally are expected from Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia and, of course India, who are very committed to showing success at home.”
 
To send such a sizeable team to Delhi, the ACGA relies heavily on financial support provided by state governments and money raised via sponsorship, investments and fundraising.
 
“It will require approximately $13m to send the team to Delhi, for both preparation and participation,” Crosswhite said. “This works out to around $20,000 per team member spread over the four years leading up to, and including the Games time. 
 
“During the four years leading in to these Games, sports assistance funding from the Federal Government has been limited, particularly for the smaller and medium level sports. To help with preparation the ACGA has provided over $6.5m to the national federations. 
 
“These funds will have been spent during the four years leading up to the Games on international and domestic competition, camps, equipment, daily training, sports science and medicine programs and direct athlete support.”
 
Delhi 2010 will be the first major multi-sports event held in India since the Asian Games in 1982.