Delhi now ready to bid for Olympics: LG

NEW DELHI: Battered and bruised for inordinate delays, collapsing infrastructure and filth, the authorities for a change indulged in some self-congratulatory moments on Thursday when the Games baton arrived in the capital. The Queen’s Baton saw lieutenant governor Tejendra Khanna, chief minister Sheila Dikshit and organising committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi come together at the OC headquarters where they heaped rich praises on each other for ‘‘ making the Games possible’’ .

They didn’t stop there, declaring the Games Village, which was in news recently for all the wrong reasons , a world class venue. The LG went a step further saying that the infrastructure developed for the Games was no less than that built for Olympics elsewhere. And all the accolades come just a week after the OC, DDA and the state government had to face caustic criticism for a filthy Games Village and a collapsed underconstruction foot overbridge.

Putting the painful memories behind , the LG, who received the Queen’s Baton at the OC headquarters along with Dikshit from Dronacharya awardee Satpal Singh, said that with this kind of infrastructure India is now prepared to bid for the biggest sporting extravaganza on the planet, Olympics.

‘‘ The Games Village is regarded as the finest living place for athletes in the world,’’ Khanna said. On the controversies in the run up to the Games, he said: ‘‘ Doubts have been raised and I have been asked whether we will be able to host the Games successfully. But I am not looking into the superficial aspects. I have myself seen the work that has gone into the projects over the years.’’

He reiterated that the city was ready for the event.

Still reeling under the controversies hounding the OC, its chairman Kalmadi tried to bring some optimism by announcing that all the 71 participating countries are coming for the event. ‘‘ I gave them a choice allowing them to decide whether they wanted to stay in the Village or a hotel. The teams saw the Village and immediately decided to check in,’’ Kalmadi said. He was quick to thank chief minister for all that she and her government had done to salvage the situation.

Dikshit, who has been supervising maintenance and housekeeping at the Games Village for the last one week, played down the oft-reported rift between the OC and the government. ‘‘ Our dear friend Suresh Kalmadi needs a big pat on the back,’’ she said, patting the OC chairman. ‘‘ The Games are finally here and we must spread positive energy all over the city and country,’’ the CM added.