New Delhi:
Taking a U-turn, CGF CEO Mike Hooper on Sunday owned up the responsibility for the mess around the Commonwealth Games after blaming India's central and state governments for all the problems.
Hooper told New Zealand media that the Commonwealth Games Federation cannot be held responsible for the Organising Committee's failure to meet deadlines but later said the apex sport body also has "the same responsibility as any other stakeholder".
CGF boss Mike Fennell had yesterday admitted that they will have to share the blame for the shoddy preparations of the mega event.
"We (CGF) are at the hands and the mercy of, effectively, the government of India, the Delhi government, the agencies responsible for delivery of the venues. They consistently failed to meet deadlines," Hooper said in a television interview.
He, though, retracted his words later and said Central and Delhi governments reacted promptly after Fennell's letter to Cabinet Secretary in which the CGF chief had stated that the Games' Village was "unlivable".
"The reality is that we (CGF) have the responsibility just like any stakeholder (of the Games). We have been working together and we will continue to do so to deliver the Games," Hooper told 'Times Now'.
"The Delhi government and Cabinet Secretary immediately responded after the story broke out on 25th (of September). Significant improvements have been made in the Games' Village since then," he said.
Asked specifically about the comments he made on the New Zealand television channel 'TVNZ', Hooper retorted "I have not said that."
"Not at all. You are paraphrasing what has been reported (by the New Zealand television)," he said asked if it would not amount to a breach of trust to blame the Indian governments for the mess as CGF was also one of the stakeholders.