Organisers send team to London to decide whether the prop could be used in the opening and closing ceremonies

Games balloon full of hot air?

Organisers send team to London to decide whether the prop could be used in the opening and closing ceremonies

Under fire from various quarters for exceeding the budget, the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games has sent a high-level team to London to check whether hot-air balloons can be included in the opening and closing ceremonies or not.

Though senior officials including official spokesperson Lalit Bhanot, were not available for comments sources in the Organising Committee said a high-level team consisting of filmmakers Shyam Benegal andu00a0 Bharat Bala and technical experts have flown to London on Monday afternoon to check the feasibility of the expensive prop.

"The manufacturing company is expected to give a live presentation in London. However, it is not only about balloon. Actually, the opening and closing ceremonies trials are expected to kick start there," said a senior Organising Committee official, requesting anonymity.

The official said a final decision is yet to be taken on the issue. "It will be taken only after their viewpoint on the issue," he said.

The panel is under tremendous pressure as the budget for the mega sporting event has overshot by more than a hundred times and the closing and opening ceremonies are going to cost a whopping Rs 300 crore.

The cultural committee looking into the opening and closing ceremony preperations have already told the organisers to release more funds or they will have to cut short the performances slated to be held during the shows.

Officials associated with the development said it was not about the Rs 40 crore that putting up the balloons is going to cost but upholding the prestige of the country.

A major chunk of the Rs 40 crore will be spent in leasing a helium blimp - a big balloon -- the gas for which apparently is also being imported from Russia.

The blimp will have lights and cameras and laser projections providing a 360-degree spellbinding viewing experience. It measures a massive 80 metres in circumference and 12 metres in height.

Though it will be removed after the opening ceremony at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium it will be installed again for the closing ceremony, officials said.u00a0

'WE'RE READY'
The Commonwealth Games organisers have taken over most of the competition venues for the event and expect all the stadiums to be "Games ready" by August 25 - just nine days away. Organising Committee vice-chairman Randhir Singh said on Monday that after inspection of the venues by Singh and OC Secretary General Lalit Bhanot, and going by reports from the venue operations teams, the organisers have sent specific requisitions to various stadium owners.u00a0

Up in the air

An Italian company K-Events has reportedly been given the contract for managing the blimp which is going to do a presentation in London.
The organisers are going to spend an additional Rs 10 crore on transporting the balloons to India.

"We have given a kind of 'to-do' list to each venue owner. These are minor works to be done before the final finishing. They will be done by August 25," Singh said.

With the Games mired in corruption charges, Singh and Bhanot along with OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi visited the Major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium, Jawaharal Nehru Stadium, Talkatora Stadium, Siri Fort Sports Complex, Karni Singh Shooting Range, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex and Yamuna Sports Complex in the last one week to take stock of the works.