Media Release - 13th March 2006

Report on the main points arising from the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly held at the Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne on Monday 13th March 2006.

Delegates from the 71 Commonwealth Games countries met yesterday at the Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, in the presence of the Federation's Vice Patron, HRH the Earl of Wessex, to discuss a wide range of topics that were on the agenda of this years General Assembly.

The members of the Melbourne 2006 Organising Committee received high praise for all aspects of their preparations for the XVIIIth Games which is due to commence with the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday evening (9.00 a.m. GMT)

Indian Olympic Association President, Suresh Kalmadi, and members of the Delhi 2010 Organising Committee provided an update of their plans over the four year period leading up to the next Games. There were a number of concerns expressed by delegates mainly resulting from the lack of detail with regard to sports venues for the Games and the nature and quality of accommodation in their plans for the Games Village. They seemed over anxious to increase the size of the programme with a request to offer three more sports i.e. archery, cue sports and tennis, over and above the 15 already approved sports for the Games. These are athletics, lawn bowls, weightlifting, hockey, cycling, gymnastics, wrestling, shooting, netball, boxing, badminton, squash, table tennis, rugby and aquatics. The Organisers informed delegates that 1000 Indian performers were being flown to Melbourne to present an 11 minute item at the Closing Ceremony on the 26th March and that the promised $100,000 funding for each Commonwealth Country to help them prepare for the Delhi 2010 Games would be distributed early in their next financial year.

Delhi also provided an update on their plans for the 2008 Youth Games. They informed delegates that a decision had been made to move the venue for these Games to Pune, a city close to Bombay where youth comprises over one third of their population. The move has been supported by the CGF Executive Board and the programme will include the sports of athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, tennis and weightlifting. They are also prepared to consider aquatics as a 7th sport. It was further confirmed by the CGF President, Mike Fennell, that the promise of a travel grant from India to cover CGA's costs to support the Games will be actively pursued.

Robin Oake, President of the Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man, then gave a very professional presentation of their plans for the 2011 Youth Games which would be centred around the town of Douglas and its most impressive National Sports Centre.

The Assembly finished with short presentations from bid cities for the 2014 Games. Abuja, Nigeria, hoping to be the first African city to host the Commonwealth Games joins the cities of Glasgow; and Halifax, Nova Scotia; in their attempt to become hosts of the XXth Commonwealth Games. The final decision will be made at the CGF's next General Assembly which is due to be held in Columbo, Sri Lanka in November 2007.