In a summit meeting today with Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of the Commonwealth Games England (CGE), the representatives of British Swimming gave their backing to the new vision of making the Games in Delhi an important part of the pre-2012 competition calendar.

 

Sparkes, the chief executive of British Swimming and the ASA [the English governing body for swimming, diving and synchronised swimming], said: “We welcome the new vision that the Games will play a more meaningful role in our calendar and we will be pushing for British success.

“For us, Delhi really is an important focal point.

 

"It will be a benchmark event on our way towards London and we will be using it to assess our athletes’ progress towards 2012.
 

“We are determined to be as successful as we can and exceed our medal haul from Melbourne four years ago."

 

British swimmers won a total of 38 medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games with England winning eight gold, Scotland six and Wales one.

 

Sparkes said: "We want to be challenging Australia, Canada and New Zealand for the medals in the pool.
 

“Our plan is to take a large English team to Delhi, led by British Swimming’s director of world class programmes Jon Atkinson, alongside the Home Countries who will all be working together so we can use it as an effective springboard for London.”
 

Atkinson will travel to Delhi later this year with British Swimming’s national performance director Michael Scott to examine how the Games is progressing.

Sparkes recently visited the site of the Games in Delhi together with the chief executives of Scotland and Wales swimming to monitor developments.

 

He welcomed the significant progress seen but says Delhi now needs to accelerate work.

 

Specifically there is the need to develop an effective security plan, extend the capacity of the Metro system and transportation for the Games and a need for much faster construction of the swimming pool complex.

 

All this alongside the work needed to put in place the underpinning Games organisation.
 

Sparkes said: “We are sure Delhi will host a stunning Games and the pool will be a magnificent indoor facility with 5,000 capacity.

 

"But Delhi, like so many cities, presents its own unique challenges when staging a major event like the Commonwealth Games.
 

“In May, the Games Organising Committee will relocate to bigger offices.

 

"This will afford them the opportunity to bring on to the team the extra expertise required and they should waste no further time in adding to the management team behind the event.”
 

Today’s summit meeting was also an opportunity for the Home Countries to discuss plans for the Isle of Man Commonwealth Youth Games 2011.

Sparkes said: “We will be working with the Isle of Man to help them with the expertise needed for the Games.