New Delhi: Two days before the opening of the 9th Commonwealth Games, India and Britain have resolved a tricky protocol issue by agreeing that both Pratibha Patil and Prince Charles will jointly declare it open on October 3.
Charles is representing his mother Queen Elizabeth who enjoys the privilege of declaring open the Games as participating countries were former colonies and territories of the British empire. Since she declared her inability to come to Delhi, it was assumed by the British that Charles as her representative should declare open the Games, raising a protocol issue with the Indian president also being present.
India was not willing to see its head of state merely being a spectator at the opening ceremony.
"(Prince Charles) will read out the Queen's message and receive the Queen's Baton (and declare) the Games open. After that President Patil, on behalf of Delhi, will declare the Games open," British High Commissioner Richard Stagg said here on Friday.
"It is more normal for other members of the royal family to open the Games," he said.
Stagg's announcement came just two days ahead of the Games' opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in which nearly 7,000 athletes from 71 countries and teams are taking part.
It coincided with assertion by the CWG Federation chief Mike Fennell that he had no regrets over awarding the event to Delhi.
"We have to take these journeys or you will confine these events to just a few countries," he said in light of months of negative reports about the way preparations were on to host the Games here.
"You can't have the largest Commonwealth country make an acceptable offer and then not accept it," he told BBC Sport.
Ahead of the opening schools in Delhi and the National Capital Region on Friday began early Dussehra vacation, which help not only sport-loving students to watch the Games but also was expected to smoothen traffic movement in the capital where already around 6,500 athletes and officials have gathered for the event that ends on October 14.
Though facilities at the Village and the venues have come in for praise from athletes and officials, after months of doubt about their quality and preparedness, the issue of who all must take the blame for previous mess continues to echo.
While much-criticised Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi has said he is ready for a probe, New Zealand said Friday that Michael Hooper, the Games Chief Executive Officer in India, must share the blame for the problems related to the event.
There had been too much finger-pointing at Indian officials, New Zealand Sports Minister Murray McCully has said.
Some of the blame lay with Games Federation chief executive Hooper, The New Zealand Herald Friday quoted McCully as saying.
Hooper had blamed the Indian officials for the delay in completing the facilities for the Games.
"So we should be careful about simply asserting that Indian officials carry all the responsibility. He's 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 them do their jobs and leave the serious questions for afterwards. But they should be asked," McCully, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said.
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