Excellent media facilities at CWG.
The facilities offered to media at Delhi is the best. For the first time in a major competition of this magnitude, media is provided with a lounge, work stations and in-stadia beaming of matches through plasma monitors (one for three chairs) not only in the main pitch, also at Pitch II.
The one that impresses is the press tribunes (totally different from the ones we had during the World Cup). Each table accommodates three chairs, with a Plasma Television that has two channels. One telecasts matches in the main and second pitch. One can catch the other events of the CWG Live in the other channel (DD Sports which has the telecast rights). The remote is with you, need not depend others help for changing the channel.
The area allotted for press (photographers, Broadcast and Print media) is earmarked separately. While broadcasters and photographers are given the elevated area, the print media persons are as close to action as much possible.
Every press person is given the option of taking landline internet or data card (this data card which is free in fact costs Rs. 3000-3500 in market).
There are 65 work stations with internet facilities at the ground floor, besides 28 at the pitch II.
All other facilities such as stat, press conference venue, communication, duplication and documentation facilities are there, infostratda’s General News Services give you flash quotes, stats, daily summary and write ups.
The media lounge where the eatables and beverages are first planned to be priced, is free of cost from day one. About 12 hours in a day, you are served with high quality hot drink, sand witches (both veg and non-veg), sweets, muffins, besides packed Apple, Orange and Grape juices, Coca Cola, Limca and Sprite.
There is a lift that connects tribune, main press room and media lounge. Otherwise also it is pleasure to walk down the stairs as the whole area (running into thousands of sq.feet) is air-conditioned.
All the three floors are granite-marbled.
There are 12 supervisors (each paid Rs.40,000 per month) and 36 volunteers provided to only the tribune area, the same proportion is maintained for work station area and others.
Even security this time for media men are less, no second tier check up at the entrance of media section, coins are allowed, etc etc.
Your accreditation media card gives you unlimited free city travel on road and rail; DTC buses and Metro. You can, if you want, visit the entire city without spending single pie from your pocket on travels. We got free bus in both Perth (2002 World Cup and 2006 Monchengladbach, but not for Metros, those cities are so small that you feel you don’t require them at all).
There is a shuttle service to media hotels, Main Press Centre from there to all sporting venues, all buses air-con’d).
The Kit given to media is of high quality brands which includes Reebok bag, Tata’s Photon Card, a Reebok T-Shirt, Transcend Data Storage card, souvenir mugs, and many others.
Now journalists can enjoy all the ambience and facilities, can work overtime to find out what is fault with India!
But the fact of the matter is, it will take long long time for any other organizers to surpass the bench mark that this CWG has set.
The most important aspect here is everything is included in the design of the stadia, need not put a tent for anything as happens in the Western hockey World.
The press facilities for the March World Cup pales into insignificance compared to now.
The heartening part of the whole press operations of CWG is, it is visualized by a hockey-covering journalist, Manish Kumar. The youngster, as Deputy Director General and Head, Press Operations, CWG, worked almost two years to conceptualize, plan and execute them in precise manner. We are all therefore grateful to him and his hard working team of 8 for all the comfort we enjoy right now to carry out our professional duties.