By Tom Degun in New Delhi

October 1 – New Zealand Sports Minister Murray McCully has claimed that Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) chief executive Mike Hooper (pictured) must at least share the blame for the disastrous build-up to the competition.


The Games have faced a series of major problems getting their venues ready in time for the event, which starts on Sunday (October 3).

Many prominent Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand and Scotland, threatened to boycott the event after the Athletes’ Village was said to be in a “filthy” condition just days before competitors were to move in, and a footbridge leading to the main stadium collapsed.

CGF President Michael Fennell has suggested the problems highlighted the organisers’ failure to heed warnings they were given.

He said: "People are working hard and want to do well, but sometimes the coordination and intention to follow through is not always good.

"You can only do so much - you have to rely on them to follow your advice.

"You entrust the organisation to an organising committee and that organising committee has to get on with the job.

"You have to applaud their efforts but the management and systematic follow through was just not there."

However, McCully feels the CGF cannot escape without any blame and believes fellow New Zealander Hooper - who has been the subject of protests here this week after his claims that the Indian organisers should bear sole responsibility for the problems - cannot distance himself from the problems in Delhi.

"We should be careful about simply asserting that Indian officials carry all the responsibility," he said.

"He [Hooper] has been based there to oversee those arrangements.

"I certainly think there’s going to be a sharing of responsibility, but this is not the time.

"Let’s let them do their jobs and leave the serious questions for afterwards.

"But they should be asked."

McCully has become the latest New Zealander to publicly attack Hooper after Barry Maister, secretary general of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) who succeeded Hooper, claimed the CGF deserved "to be slammed for it".

Meanwhile, Mike Stanley, president of NZOC, said Hooper had been "based in Delhi for some time to oversee these very things".

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