7 Oct : Cricketers and Bollywood stars will not figure in the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games and people should not have “too much” expectations from the event.
“People should not have too much expectations from the closing ceremony. It has to be a sombre ceremony. Let us not have too much expectations,” Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi told reporters after the meeting of Group of Ministers for the Games, on Thursday.
He was asked what preparations were being done for the closing ceremony to be held on 14th October as people had great expectations from it after the grand opening.
“Opening ceremony is opening ceremony and closing ceremony is closing ceremony,” he added.
Kalmadi said like the opening ceremony of the Games, there would be no presence of the cricketers and Bollywood personalities during the closing event also.
When asked if cricket organisers such as ICC President Sharad Pawar would be invited for the 14th October event, “I don’t know what he is doing. He was not in the opening ceremony. Perhaps he will not be in the closing ceremony too.”
Kalmadi said that in the GoM meeting, the creative team, which had organised the opening ceremony, made a presentation for the closing ceremony.
The team includes Bharat Bala and lyricist Prasun Joshi.
Asked if India would also bid for the Olympics Games to be held in 2020, he said, “This issue will be taken up after the Commonwealth Games.”
Commenting on allegations of contaminated water in the swimming pools, the OC chief said, “Water has been medically tested and it is perfect. There is nothing wrong in the swimming pool.”