CWG: Now a snake at the tennis stadium

Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh, who was in the capital on Saturday and Sunday to see for himself Jawaharlal Nehru stadium came to the rescue of Suresh Kalmadi and company when he lashed out at the foreign media and athletes and CWG officials who have been crying foul from the roof tops by giving credit to the organizing comittee for the work.

"I have been to a number of countries and seen the facilities that the hosts offered to athletes. They were not very good either but we never made a fuss," the legend said.

But something or the other kept on happening in last couple of days that provided enough scope to the media to have a go at the organizing committee.

First the bed given to an Indian athlete simply collapse and on Sunday Delhi wildlife officials were forced to rush to RK Khanna stadium when they recieved emergency call from Delhi poice for assistance to catch a snake that had been hiding in one of the rooms meant for use by the Indian tennis team.

Within minutes after the team arrived at the tennis venue at the Africa Avenue on Sunday they not only tracked down the snake but also managed to catch him. To their surprise it was a four feet long Cobra who could have posed threat to the lives of the players as well as the game lover if it had gone untraced.

"It looks someone delibrately let the snake in to spoil the name of the tennis stadium. Even Davis Cup matches have been held at this venue but we have never ever had this kind of problem. It is clear case of a mischief," senior official of RK Khanna stadium told rediff.com.

In the meanwhile Mike Hooper continued to spew venom both against the Organizing committee. He blamed "over populated populated New Delhi on one hand for traffic congestations" but also did not spare the Commonwealth Games Federation either. The chief executive officer of CWG claimed that they did everything they could but organizing committee refused to learn.

"You can take the horse to water but you cannot make it drink," he is reported to have told a closed door meeting of the officials Delhi government and sports bodies.

Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit has been given three more days to carry out the completion of work at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium where false celling came off in one of the workout halls for wrestlers.

Cabinet Secretary called a meeting to review the arrangements at various stadiums. Mrs Shiela Dikshit was present and Suresh Kalmadi was not even invited.

Kalmadi is facing humitiation for not listening to the government. While he put on a long face throughout on Sunday some of his friends who spoke to rediff.com said Kalmadi has got what he deserved.

"He baked a rotten cake and let him eat it too before he goes to Tihar for financial bunglings," said a close associate of Kalmadi.