Kalmadi asked for overseers?

He claimed that the team was appointed on his insistence, as he had asked for "assistance" from the government.

The PMO on Thursday announced appointment of 10 senior officials to oversee preparation of major venues of the event. The team will directly report to the Cabinet Secretary.

"We are in the final phase of the preparations for Commonwealth Games. We requested the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary to give us 10 government officers. They have come at our request and they will coordinate with us. They have not come to take over the OC as reported in some sections of the media. The media is saying that my wings have been clipped, probably because I was a fighter pilot," he said.

Suresh Kalmadi, who is in the eye of a storm over alleged corruption in the Commonwealth Games, did not attend the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting on Thursday.

Thursday also saw Congress president Sonia Gandhi speaking over the alleged scams in the Commonwealth Games for the first time. "It (Games) is a matter of national pride and efforts should be made to hold them successfully," she said at the CPP meeting.

Fennel satisfied
Commonwealth Games Federation President Mike Fennell wrapping up his visit to India said: "I am leaving New Delhi feeling reasonably assured that preparation has been solid and good progress has been made and it will continue to be so. It is not unique or strange in case of Delhi, it happens everhwhere at every Games. This is the last lap and we do not want to lose sight," he said.

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