Unlike Guangzhou, New Delhi still not prepared for media accreditation of CWG

NEW DELHI - The 16th Asian Games to be held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou will see July 31 as the close of media accreditation for the Games, but the manner in which media accreditation is being done for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG) is disappointing.

The 16th Asian Games, which is a part of the worldwide Olympic movement and governed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), will take place in Guangzhou from November 12 to 27.

More than 10,000 accredited worldwide media are anticipated to cover the Games with more than three million spectators expected to attend.

Guangzhou is the second city in China to host the Games after Beijing in 1990.ver 14,000 athletes, trainers and coaches from 45 countries and regions are expected to compete in a total of 476 events in 42 sports.

World media wishing to receive accreditation for The 16th Asian Games can contact their respective National Olympic Committee and log onto the website: https://www.admail.net/url/761688/e566a4/ to use the Asian Games electronic accreditation system.

Media organizations from non-OCA member National Olympic Committee can receive application forms and the username/password for the accreditation website by sending an e-mail to: pressacr@gz2010.cn.

This includes non- right holding broadcasters, world news agencies, international sports federations, Asian sports federations and media/press originations in America, Oceania, Africa and Europe

The Editors Guild of India has noted with dismay the manner in which media accreditation is being done for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Four print media representatives including the President of the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) have resigned from the Commonwealth Games Media Accreditation Sub-Committee citing arbitariness in decision-making.

They raised questions in the manner in which accreditations have been granted to more than 300 organisations even before getting the approval of the committee.

Earlier on July 21, the host city of Guangzhou, greeted the media for from home and abroad heading for the Games Second World Press Briefing with hospitality.

Journalists from the world media giants were in the city for the Second World Press Briefing of the 16th Asian Games and to check on the progress of media services in advance of the November 12-27 Games.

Further on Monday, nearly 30 people representing 16 media organisations from Taiwan visited Guangzhou. They attended a briefing about the 16th Asian Games and toured around the Asian Games Town.

In India, the first phase of the accreditation process for covering the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi commenced on April 16, wherein the media organisations were requested to send their wish list for accreditation.

The deadline for it was May 7. The second phase commenced on June 7, and the final date for submission of the application form was July 7. but unlike the Chinese city of Guangzhou, no foreign media has still been invited to have a glance at the preparations ahead of the Delhi Commonwealth Games and no press briefing has been given to them.

On the other hand, Deputy Secretary General of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC) and Guangzhou Municipal Government Gu Shiyang briefed Taiwan’s journalists on preparations for the Asian Games, who showed their interest in topics such as the marketing operations of the Games, “odd-even” traffic restrictions and Torch Relay.

The media representatives were very impressed by the post-Games use of the venues and their supporting facilities.

The International Broadcast Centre (IBC) for the 15th Asian Games will open on October 28; the Main Press Centre (MPC) will open on November 1 and the Media Village will open on October 30.

Contrastingly, in Delhi, only marginal venue- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and RK Khanna Tennis Stadium are said to be fully operational. So the opening up of media centers is a long way to go.

The remaing stadiums such as the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, Tyagaraj Sports Complex, Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Talkatora Indoor Stadium, Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, Yamuna Sports Complex and Delhi University are still not ready.

Over 10,000 journalists from home and aboard will participate in the Guangzhou Asian Games, and 70 per cent of them will lodge at the Media Village.

“The media identity registration card for the Games will be sent in August. The International Broadcasting Centre will open on October 28 and the Main Press Centre on November 1,” said Tianhua.

“During the Games, the journalists in the Main Press Centre could not only seek service of translation and interpretation including Korean, Japanese, English, Arabian, Russian, etc, but enjoy 17 services such as beauty salons, air ticket booking, banks, post offices, cybercaf�, massage and tea art. Bars and cafes in the Main Press Centre and Media Village will provide 24 hours service,” he added.

The Press Information Bureau gives accreditation to all the eligible journalists based in Delhi and its vicinity, and renews the accreditation on an annual basis.

For the first time, the process of submitting the applications for fresh accreditation or renewal for the year 2010 has been made completely online. But the question of providing translators to foreign journalists is still not on the cards.

The Organising Committee of the Asian Games has consulted with the relevant departments to provide services to the journalists from abroad, who need to buy insurance, pay taxes, interview Chinese athletes, open temporary bank accounts, hire employees in news reporting, rent rooms and rent workplace.

In contrast, India seems to be under immense pressure to complete all pending works on time before the Commonwealth Games. The Indian authorities have still not thought about what benefits should be provided to foreign media and how to make them feel at home.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi is being touted as the biggest international sporting event to be hosted by India since the 1982 Delhi Asian Games.

Its success is being seen as the first step for India to bid for bigger events, but still New Delhi is not ready for it. (ANI)