'We can host events at CWG venues in an hour'

Several missed deadlines later, the venues of the Commonwealth Games are now completely ready, said organising committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, claiming that the preparedness is such that events can now be held at the stadiums on an hour's notice.

Kalmadi brushed aside concerns about leaking roofs and waterlogging at the stadiums' gates and declared competition venues ready for the October 3 to 14 event.

"We can host events within an hour (at the stadiums). We have built the stadiums, keeping athletes in mind," Kalmadi said.

Talking about the Thyagaraj Stadium, which will host the netball competition, Kalmadi said, "We have one of the greenest stadium in the world. There were grave apprehensions here, rain and all but everything is ready and we are set to hold a very good event."

On the concerns about a dengue fever outbreak, the under-fire OC chairman said step are being taken to deal with the problem.

"Lots of issues are there things like dengue, but we are taking effective steps, the floods are receding and we will have great games," he said.

The event, which will have an international broadcast, will be witnessed by three million, including the US, and will have all the best athletes coming.

The kitchen trial at the Games Village will start on Monday and it will be opened by September 23. "Asian and Continental are some of the top-class cuisines that will be served," Kalmadi said.

However, there was still some work to be done at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming complex, which has a seating capacity for 5000 people with a 10-lane pool.

But competition manager for the swimming event Kamlesh Nanavati assured that everything, including the scoreboard, would be in place by next week. "By September 20 everything will be in order," said Nanavati.

Squash court in the Siri Fort sports complex had a four-sided glass court.

"This has automatic movable side walls that can convert from a doubles to a singles court," said Manan Mashruwala, competition manager for the event.

Talkatora stadium for boxing boasts of security with CCTV set ups and an anti doping centre with urine processing and blood processing systems for conducting the dope tests.