Brighter side of the Games

chief

Prime VIP
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Enough of slamming the unpreparedness of the Commonwealth Games. It's high time we looked at the brighter side of the Games.

Yes, the last-minute finishing work was avoidable, but people just see what all positives the Games have. All's not bad and ugly.

Seen here in the picture is the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue for the multi-nation event.

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The JLN Stadium, which has a capacity of 60,000, will host the opening and closing ceremony of the Games, besides the Track and Field events.


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Flyovers have been constructed to shorten the distance between the venues and the Games Village. And post-Games, these flyovers will save the Delhiites from long traffic jams.


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Special Games lanes have been created for smooth, hassle-free and quick travelling for the athletes from Games Village to venues and vice-versa. These lanes are a no-entry zone for other commuters, and that might teach the otherwise meandering Delhi drivers a thing or two about driving in their respective lanes.


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One of best gifts Delhi got from the Commonwealth Games is Millennium Park Bus Depot which may find its name in the Guinness Book of Records. The facility is located next to the Games Village, spread over a sprawling 60-acre-plot along the western banks of Yamuna, has the capacity to house 1,000 buses, which will provide buses to athletes, delegates and media persons during the 10-day sporting extravaganza. The capacity of this depot is 10 times more than normal DTC depot. A fleet of 600 non-hybrid CNG-powered buses have been deployed to ferry famous and delegates to the Games.


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Let's accept, had it not been for the Games, Delhi would have had to wait longer to get its HoHo - the hop on hop off bus service. Modelled on the best of such facilities in some European countries, it will run across the city covering almost all the important tourist destinations including monuments, museums and popular markets.


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And now let's take a look at other venues of the Games.

The Talkatora Indoor Stadium has been given a massive face-lift for the Games. It comprises of three zones - field of play, front of house and back of house. It will provide one competition ring and four warm-up areas. The stadium also has a tunnel to facilitate movement of the athletes from the Facility Block to the main stadium.

And although it is the venue for the boxing event, the entire facilities for other sports have also been improved.

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The Thyagraj Sports Complex, which will play host to sport Netball during the 2010 Commonwealth Games, is India's first eco-friendly sports complex. Constructed with bricks made up of fly-ash, the stadium has effective water management systems like rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment with two lakh litres a day capacity, dual flush systems, sensor-based faucets, etc. It will use solar energy for lighting.


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Like Talkatora Stadium, the Siri Fort Sports Complex also underwent a makeover for the Games. It matches world-class standards for hosting the events of badminton and squash.
 

chief

Prime VIP
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Despite all the delays, the Games village promises to provide world class facilities to 7000 athletes and officials from 71 countries.


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The rooms of the Village are no lesser than a 3-star hotel. They are spacious and fully furnished.


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The dining are of the Village has accumulated much praise from all visiting athletes and officials. The gigantic dining area can serve thousands in a day and offers all the world cuisines. Around 1.6 million meals are expected to be served at all the venues over 12 days.


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From 10 different kind of breads to cakes to lamb chops besides Indian delicacies, the dining area is literally a heaven for the foodies. Labels hanging from the roof say 'Western, Asian, Indian, Vegetarian, African, Tandoori, Pizza and Pasta'.


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Fast Trax, the food Licensee for all the 12 stadiums by OC, has set up about 100 food outlets at different stadia and the Media Village at ITPO. The company would also be selling merchandise and tickets at their restaurants located all over the Delhi.


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Apart from impressive dining hall, the Village also has a recreation zone for the athletes.


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Commonwealth Games Organising Committee has prepared a plush Media Centre for at Pragati Maidan and it is expected to draw a contingent of nearly 2,000 mediapersons from all across the globe. It is billed as the largest media centre in the history of the Commonwealth Games.

It comes equipped with a Central Work Area that holds 600 work stations, as well as a separate sections for mediapersons who wish to use the wi-fi network for their laptops.
 
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