Stephanie Rice has become the first Olympic champion to send Commonwealth Games organisers a warning over security arrangements in Delhi. Today she tells the Australian media: I won't risk my life for Games gold.
Commonwealth champion over 200m and 400m in Melbourne in 2006, Rice is considering bypassing the Games this time round. She told her national media: "It's something that I have to give serious consideration. And if there is any serious or credible risk, then that will prompt a rethink. I just want to see what transpires in coming months.''
Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith is on a tour of India this week. In the way of such things, he played down talk of security concerns and the threats of a militant organisation a month ago, telling ABC TV: "The conclusion we've come to . . . is we don't regard that threat as a credible threat. It's a matter for individual athletes or sporting bodies to decide whether they take part or not."
Smith will be discussing Games planning and inspecting facilities during his three-day visit and he confirmed that the planning of sports organisations, such as Swimming Australia, depended on advice and information supplied to them by the Australian Government. Rice said: ``I have the utmost confidence in Swimming Australia and Games officials to make the best decisions on the welfare and safety of athletes.'' So, down to them ... and you too Mr Smith, should you come away with your thumb held up.
Politicians have largely played a diplomatic tune on the issue of security arrangements for athletes in Delhi. Few have mentioned the issue raised by Brenton Rickard recently when he spoke of parents and family intending to travel to the Games but concerned that no special security arrangements existed for visitors heading to India specifically because of the Games.
The concerns of Australian parents have been echoed by the parents of Brent Hayden, of Canada, among others. The Hayden's have planned a trip to Delhi but changed holiday plans in the wake of the Games because of security concerns in the region.
That most politicians and Games organisers are taking a sit-on-the-fence and see approach to the issue of security is lamentable. At the same time as they give the impression that arrangements are good and that no athlete needs to be concerned and that no-one else should be overly concerned, they fall shy of providing a definitive 'yes, you should travel', or 'no, you should not travel' when it comes to visitors to the Games.
All of which leaves parents who must save considerable amounts of money to travel to the Games and then meet the not inconsiderable bill of staying in acceptable accommodation wondering whether to book or not to book.
But from the Government of India comes this message:
The Government of India on Monday said there was no credible threat to any sporting event in the country this year, including the XIX Commonwealth Games, and that it was taking maximum precaution to ensure foolproof security.
“At the moment, there are no credible threats to any of the sporting events in India, Union Home Secretary Mr. G K Pillai told reporters. “But, we are taking all precautions and we will continue to take maximum precautions in the coming months. All players, officials and spectators are safe in India.”
Mr. Pillai ruled out the possibility of outsourcing the Commonwealth Games security, saying India was capable of providing a safe and secure environment for the Games. “Every visitor including participants, organisers and their family members will be provided full security,” he said. “India has organised big sporting events in the past and we have been able to provide good security successfully.”
Dismissing reports of security concerns raised international media over reports quoting Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) commander Ilyas Kashmiri's warning to sportspersons. Mr. Pillai said it was being done deliberately as there were elements who wanted to scare people.
The Home Secretary also termed as completely "false" reports that claimed that the security plan of the Commonwealth Games had been leaked. “The report is completely false. Plans are being reviewed from time to time. Operational issues are top secret. There is no question of leak of any report,” he said.
It is surely the responsibility of the Commonwealth Games Committee and Federation to now follow through by doing do one of two things: state clearly that arrangements have been made to extend the Games security cordon to all those visiting Delhi in October; or state that that cannot happen and therefore travel is "at your own risk". Potential visitors can then make up their minds whether to go with it or to spend their family budgets elsewhere.
If they feel unable to do that, then surely it is past the moment when they ought to be thinking about shifting to an alternative camp for the Games. Melbourne has indicated that it could go for a second time round. Some commentators have noted that if security is a problem, the world can still tune in via a television broadcast. True, but then why seek out new hosts for the Games around the world if the festival aspect of such mega-sporting events is lost, why bother to even look at regions of the world that are stepped in security problems that security forces cannot contain beyond the tight cordon of the village and competitive compounds.
While the world would be a sadder place if we all let the threats of terrorists do just what they are intended to do, there is also wisdom in the words of one swimming parent who asked SwimNews: "What was the CWG thinking anyways, 911 not withstanding?"
In the absence of any proper guidance from the Commonwealth Games Committee and Federation, visitors are best, perhaps to seek advice from national governments. The Foreign Office of Great Britain does not make happy reading, but it does tell it like it is, which is what the CGC and Fed ought to be doing.
The Federation website carries no advice for travellers and does not even carry links to agencies that might be of help in that regard. Poor show. The Games official site, the hub of activity for the Games Committee, carries the following news:
NEW DELHI: India is leaving nothing to chance when it comes to security at the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, scheduled to begin on October 3. It is pulling out all stops to ensure that its agencies talk to each other without any call drops, hiccups or breach of confidentiality by deploying a dedicated radio network based on the Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) technology.
According to a report in the Business Standard, as many as 18 government agencies, including police, fire services, hospitals, public works department and the Delhi Transport Corporation are being linked seamlessly on the Rs 100 crore Government Radio Network (GRN). It will cover the entire metropolitan area of India’s capital, including transportation networks such as Delhi Metro and New Delhi Airport Terminal-II.
Being installed by HCL Infosystems and Motorola, the network for the Commonwealth Games has been designed to minimise the reaction time in the toughest of situations, ensuring minimal call drops and encrypted communication to maintain the highest levels of security in all eventualities -- natural calamity, security breach, medical situation or terrorist threat.
Such technologies are available world over - the UK has deployed it, and so has the US and a host of European countries. Closer home, the technology has been used by the Indian Army as well as the Kerala police force. In India, the department of telecommunications has given the Delhi government permission to use TETRA.
That mention of the UK is well targeted, of course. London 2012 will also need to provide some reassurances in a capital city that has known its fair share of terrorist attacks over the past 40 years or so.
Meanwhile, back to Rice, a swimmer getting closer to being race ready for domestic trials later this month. She noted that she had not yet got back down to ideal weight but was leaner and considered her fitness to be better than it had been in shiny suit 2009.
