Kalmadi and IOA reject Commonwealth Games Federation’s proposal for monitoring panel, wants CEO Hooper sacked

The face-off between the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Commonwealth Games 2010 Organising Committee has taken a turn for the worse with the committee rejecting the Commonwealth Games Federation’s proposal to set up an independent monitoring committee to oversee the preparations for the Delhi Games and also demanding that Mike Hooper, chief executive officer of the event, be sacked forthwith.

Photo: Suresh Kalmadi

The local organisers Indian Olympic Association, after being severely criticised for the lousy preparations for the Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi on October 3-14, 2010, insisted on the removal of Mike Hooper, from New Zealand, arguing that he is “of no use” in spite of having been in Delhi for the last two years.

A meeting of the executive committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) passed a resolution saying that there is no need for a monitoring panel for the Games and also questioned the role of Mike Hooper in preparing for the mega-event.

The Indian Olympic Association recommended that the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee ask the Commonwealth Games Federation to strengthen the Coordination Commission (CoCom) by adding to it technical experts – so that CoCom’s authority is not diluted – instead of setting up yet another body.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and president of the Indian Olympic Association, told the media that “we do not want a multiplicity of agencies.” The existing agencies, including the Co-ordination Commission, are monitoring the preparations for the Delhi Games, he added.

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee also accused Mike Hooper of “misbehaving” with an official of the committee in July 2009.

Over two months after the alleged incident, the Organising Committee has distributed copies of a letter that Suresh Kalmadi wrote to Michael Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, complaining that Mike Hooper threw keys at the face of a director in the secretary-general’s office.

The Indian Olympic Association also advised the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee to hire foreign experts, if need be.

Kalmadi said the Indian Olympic Association would welcome hiring foreigners in crucial fields such as technology, project management, overlays, catering as well as in sports like Rugby 7s, Netball and Lawn Bowling since the IOA does not have the required expertise in such events. However, Indian experts are well-equipped to manage events such as badminton and shooting and the country has proved its expertise by hosting the badminton World Championship in 2009, he asserted.

Kalmadi said that Mike Hooper “has been of no use to us” but instead is an “impediment” to the organising committee’s functioning and so he must be replaced with someone “who can be useful to us.”

Hooper reacted to the harsh outbursts against him saying that he was “shocked” and retorted that the local organisers are “turning their backs on the real issues” which the Games face by focusing on “trivial matters.”

He said he was “very disappointed” about the comments that Suresh Kalmadi has made. “I view that my role in Delhi has been independent in the past two years, and launching a personal attack was most unfortunate and totally inappropriate,” Hooper added.

With these new, unhappy developments and the infighting and the delays to boot, the prospect of the Delhi Games is getting darker.

Randhir Singh, secretary-general of the Indian Olympic Association, told reporters that he was surprised at the decision of the Commonwealth Games Federation to set up a separate technical committee. The Commonwealth Games Federation, according to Randhir Singh, should have more faith in the Co-ordination Commission since it is the Co-ordination Commission that checks and seeks reports from the organising committee in the case of big sporting events like Olympic Games and Asian Games.

The response from the Indian Olympic Association came just a few days after Michael Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, suggested that an independent review committee be set up to oversee the preparations for the Delhi Games on a “monthly basis.”

Fennell had said, after inspecting all the sporting venues as well as the Games village, that he is satisfied with the pace of construction of the different stadiums, adding, however, that he is more concerned about the “operational areas” than the infrastructure.