Kalmadi climbs down: ‘I will agree to whatever Mike Fennell decides’

The crucial brainstorming between the duo — Union Sports Minister M S Gill will also be present — is expected to be pushed forward from October 28 to 29,following the baton relay ceremony.

When asked if he was willing to work with Fennell after being snubbed by him over Hooper,Kalmadi told The Indian Express: “Everything will be sorted out. The Commonwealth Games is more important than individual players. I will agree to whatever Mr Fennell says since he has been good for the country. Everything will get resolved.”

What if Mike Hooper remains in New Delhi? Kalmadi said that he was happy he had raised the issue of Hooper’s style of functioning. “Some good has come out with my taking up the matter with Mr Fennell already. And I want to clarify that what I had said in New Delhi was not that Mike Hooper was useless but that he was not very useful.”

On October 14,Kalmadi wrote to Fennel to find a “suitable replacement” for Hooper and listed instances of what he described as his “intemperate and unacceptable behaviour.” In reply,Fennel described Hooper as an “extraordinary” Chief Executive.

While Hooper is in London for the past few days,no interaction between him and Kalmadi has taken place.

Meanwhile,in a move to underline his authority,Kalmadi is trying to ensure that the bureaucrats — expected to be appointed by the Government soon to assist the Organising Committee — report directly to him.

In a letter written to Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar on October 25 from London,Kalmadi has quoted guidelines of the OC which state that the Executive Board would assign all functions and responsibilities of all officials concerned.

Kalmadi has urged the Cabinet Secretary to “have these officers relieved from their parent cadre and advise them to report to the undersigned (himself) for final assignment of their duties.”

It is understood that after the appointment of retired bureaucrat Jarnail Singh as a senior member of the OC,the Cabinet Secretary is in the process of nominating three serving IAS officers to join the OC team — the announcement is likely to be made next week. These IAS officers are expected to be of Joint Secretary level with one of them belonging to the Defence audit division.

Kalmadi said he’s been pushing for these bureaucrats and had “approved” some names from a shortlist he received from the Government.