2008 Commonwealth youth games will be a resounding success: Kalmadi

Pune, May 4 (UNI) Putting aside the disappointment of the unsuccessful bid for hosting the 2014 Asian Games, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said he was confident that the first ever 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), slated to be held in Pune, would be a resounding success.

Speaking in the same line, the Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) chairman Brig (retd) K P Singh Deo said it would be a dress rehearsal for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Mr Kalmadi who is also the chairman of the organising committee, said with Rs 210 crore in his bag, Rs 110 crore from the central government and Rs 100 crore from the Maharashtra government, there is no paucity of funds as a total outlay of Rs 280 crore for the entire project has been earmarked though it could overshoot.

''With a total outlay of Rs 280 crore, it would have ultra-modern infra-structure facilities and amenities for sports as no other city in the country could boast about,'' he said.

Briefing a media conference here, Brig Singh Deo expressed satisfaction after reviewing the progress for the games.

''Despite the work on creating infra-structure being delayed, it would be completed much before the May 31, 2008, deadline'', he added.

He said work on the three new venues for Badminton, Table Tennis and the Games Village has been taken up on war footing and would be completed with all possible amenities accepted globally.

A meeting of the cabinet secretaries has been summoned at Delhi next week which will take stock of progress and other related regarding the 2008 CYG, Kalmadi pointed out.

All the nine representatives of the national federations namely Mr.S.P.Pillay (Athletics), Col.P.K.Muralidhar Rja(Boxing), Mr.L.C.

Gupta (Badminton), Mr.BaljitSingh Sethi (Shooting), Mr.V.D.

Nanavati (Swimming), Mr.V.K.Bawa (Table Tennis), Mr.Sharad Kanamwar (Tennis), Mr.Balbir Singh (Weightlifting) and Mr.KartarSingh (Wrestling) attended the first GTCC meeting chaired by Brig.Singh Deo.

UNI