BERLIN, (Reuters) – Organisers of this year’s New Delhi Commonwealth Games were accused yesterday of owing companies millions of dollars and blocking equipment used for the opening and closing ceremonies from leaving India.
Several companies, including the one in charge of the ceremonies which cost around $50 million in total, told Reuters they had yet to receive final payments and had been unable to re-export their own equipment since the Games ended on Oct. 14.
“This is a scandalous situation. I find it outrageous an organising committee behaves like that,” said Ric Birch who has organised ceremonies for Olympics and Commonwealth Games since 1982.
“The behaviour of organisers and Indian government agencies has been so shameful that any international company must beware of entering into any business contracts with Indian government agencies.
“We have written to everyone from Games organisers to government officials to the International Olympic Committee member for India and we have received no reply. Not one of them replied,” Birch told Reuters in an interview.
Among those contacted in correspondence seen by Reuters are JJ Thompson, special adviser to India’s prime minister, Games chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Games chief executive Mike Hooper.
Only Hooper replied, telling Birch he was unable to contact organisers.
“Not much of an effort for a Commonwealth Games CEO,” said Birch, director of production at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics who staged the ceremonies for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was also a consultant for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
When contacted by Reuters yesterday, Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot refused to comment. “I’m busy in a meeting right now,” he said.
