Lavish lifestyle untrue, says Games chief

Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Michael Hooper has finally responded to claims he led a lavish lifestyle preparing the event in Delhi, as well as commenting on his effigy being burned last week.

The response has come as part of a media conference with six senior Games officials, including president Mike Fennell and organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi.

The daily conference has been the entertainment highlight of the Games to date - an unintentionally hilarious stage act.

It started in appropriate fashion too when president Fennell tapped his microphone and asked: "Is this working?" A wag in the media audience whispered: "Yes, it's the only thing that is."

Hooper was first to be bombarded. He was asked whether he feared for his safety after his effigy became a study in pyrotechnics last week and to comment on his alleged luxury, living off the Indian taxpayer.

President Fennell jumped in.

"Those are not matters we will be responding to." The reporter replied: "Can't Michael speak for himself?"

Hooper duly responded: "Obviously the matter has been upsetting but I'm not dwelling on it. I made my position clear at the time that it [the fact] was not correct. Mr Fennell then put out a statement to make it a matter of public record."

"The reports of my lavish lifestyle are simply not true. I wish I had $600,000 a year paid in tax for me.

"I do feel safe in Delhi. The security arrangements in place are appropriate. I don't have any issue with them."

The list of problem-based questions grew as the conference lingered.

A lack of spectators was the biggest issue for the officials.

"Yesterday quite clearly a number of venues did not have enough spectators," Fennell said. "I haven't done a complete audit but this was definitely the case in a few."

That was an understatement. Even the media had to start putting forward suggestions like handing out free tickets to children to give them an opportunity to see live sport.

The complaints kept rolling in. An Australian journalist asked for an apology from Kalmadi to his country's athletes for being kept, as chef de mission Steve Monaghetti described it, "like cattle" in the tunnel before the opening ceremony. Kalmadi did the honourable thing.

He went on to clear up a few other matters.

"Ticket box offices are now set up and we are almost trouble-free in the Games village. The problems with transport are now completely solved. There were also some catering problems but those are being sorted today and the cuisine is being appreciated."

Wishful thinking. He finished with a bold promise: "From tomorrow I think we will have straight flow of everything."

Unfortunately the conference left a feeling of pity rather than anger as to what has transpired over the last seven years behind closed doors.

The officials took a gold for verbal rambling.