India to bid for Youth Olympic Games in 2014

India will bid to host the first ever Youth Olympic Games, to be introduced in 2014 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in Pune on July 22.

The IOC's decision to launch the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 has been received with optimism by Indians.

India, who dropped the idea of bidding for 2016 Olympic games after their 2014 Asian Games bid failed in Kuwait, feel hosting the second edition of Youth Games in 2014 would be "a stepping stone" in their efforts to grab the rights for the 2020 Games.

IOC president Jacques Rogge proposed at a recent meeting in Guatemala City that Youth Olympic Games were required to get the increasing number of "couch potatoes" on to the track or in the swimming pool.

The IOC plans to use the Youth Olympics as an opportunity to give hosting rights to cities that missed out on the Olympics themselves. The games would be staged for participants aged between 12 to 18 years and selection would be done 18 months before the event is held.

Mr. Kalmadi said the IOC has been giving a lot of stress on the youth of the world and hence they have decided to introduce the Youth Olympic Games in addition to the Summer and Winter Olympics, to not only promote the Olympic sports but also have their total involvement in sports activities.

Expressing great optimism, Mr. Kalmadi, who heades the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games to be held at the Shiv Chhatarapati Sports City Mahalunge-Balewadi near here from October 12 to 18 next year, said India will certainly come out successful in its bidding after having been entrusted with responsibilities of hosting the 2008 CYG in Pune and later the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

He said he hopes that the IOA will be channelising all its efforts in bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games in the country. The bidding for the games will start in 2011 and the final decision would be taken in 2013, Mr. Kalmadi informed.

He said all the nine venues for the ensuing 2008 CYG will be completed and handed over to the Games Organising Committee on May 31 next year. ''I have no doubt that the work has been going on in a fierce pace despite the onslaught of the monsoon. It would be completed much before the due date,'' Mr. Kalmadi elaborated.

“This will give us the much needed time to test all the venues by hosting competitions in each of the nine disciplines namely -- athletics, swimming, tennis, badminton, shooting, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling and table tennis,” he said.

With the exception of the new stadias being built for conducting badminton, table tennis, wrestling and weightlifting, work on other venues have been completed by over 30 per cent, Mr. Kalmadi said.

The Pune 2008 CYG will serve as the trails for the prestigious 2010 Commonwealth Games and has surpassed the earlier two editions held in Edinbrough in Scotland in 2000 and the scond held at Bendigo in Australia in 2004. It has attracted all the 71 commonwealth countries, featuring about 2000 sportspersons and officials, he said.

Tourism Min mulls mega-shopping events by CWG2010

The Tourism ministry is working closely with the ministries of railways and civil aviation for setting up budget hotels accomodating 1,30,000 rooms and convention centres across the country to improve connectivity and accommodation by 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The ministry also plans to organise four shopping events in three states of the country to attract more tourists and popularise hallmarked jewellery in India, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni told reporters at the 10th edition of the Festival of Gold here today.

''Besides the ministries of railways and civil aviation, we are in talks with the Finance ministry to give tax incentives to the people involved in developing the proposed infrastructure. We plan to hold at least four shopping events before CWG 2010,'' Ms Soni said.

''The purpose behind the endeavour is to co-relate tourism and the jewellery industry and also to promote the gold jewellers in India through such exposure. The ministry has identified Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh for the mega-events and is yet to finalise the third state.'' Citing that the tourism sector had the ''maximum potential'' for employment, the Minister said the events will act as an add-on for the tourists visiting India during CWG 2010 and will explore vast job opportunities for everyone involved.

The proposed events are being planned on themes like the 'Surajkund Mela' in Haryana with jewellery being one of the segments besides participation from the artisans, cotton industry and the small and medium enterprises, but on a bigger level, Ms Soni said.

MMMTC Ltd, the biggest bullion trader of gold with 20 per cent of Indian gold imports coming through it, recorded sales of Rs 13 crore from the gold festival last year and expects to earn about Rs 20 crore with over 70,000 pieces kept for display in its 10th year.

''Looking at the behaviour of gold in the international market, the current time is the best time to buy gold. We expect a sale of Rs 2-3 crore everday from the 7-day event,'' MMTC Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Batra said.

MMTC clocked a turnover of Rs 16,300 crore during the last fiscal, out of which 50 per cent was contributed by gold. The company has already posted a turnover of Rs 11,200 crore in the six months ending September 30, 2006 during the current fiscal 2006-07 and aims to post Rs 23,000 crore as turnover by the end of the financial year 2006-07, he said.

Besides, the company also launched a portal www.mmtclimited.com for selling 'Sanchi' silver products and gold coins and medallions to its customers online.