Commonwealth Games

CGF also responsible for CWG mess: Hooper

Taking a U-turn, CGF CEO Mike Hooper on Sunday owned up the responsibility for the mess around the Commonwealth Games after blaming India’s central and state governments for all the problems.

Hooper told New Zealand media that the Commonwealth Games Federation cannot be held responsible for the Organising Committee’s failure to meet deadlines but later said the apex sport body also has “the same responsibility as any other stakeholder”.

CGF boss Mike Fennell had on Saturday admitted that they will have to share the blame for the shoddy preparations of the mega event.

“We (CGF) are at the hands and the mercy of, effectively, the government of India, the Delhi government, the agencies responsible for delivery of the venues. They consistently failed to meet deadlines,” Hooper said in a television interview.

He, though, retracted his words later and said Central and Delhi governments reacted promptly after Fennell’s letter to Cabinet Secretary in which the CGF chief had stated that the Games’ village was “unlivable”.

“The reality is that we (CGF) have the responsibility just like any stakeholder (of the Games). We have been working together and we will continue to do so to deliver the Games,” Hooper said.