Farcical end to National Games

Ranchi, February 26 (PTI) Typical to its chaoticbuild-up, the 34th National Games closing show turned intoutter farce at the main press centre here today.

If lack of information flow and inefficiency of thesupport staff was not enough, on the Games closing day moresuch fiascoes added to the chaos.

With family members and volunteers flooding theworkstation arena, the main press centre resembled a market asmany journalists did not find a place to sit.

Initially the police barred the entry of nonmedia-persons but eventually it seemed they too relented asabout 100, including a few children, flooded the workstationarea.

"Thankfully, it''s the last day. We had it enough overhere," an outstation journalist quipped.

The internet supply too crashed for more than an hourwhile with jammers in place at the nearby Hotwar Central Jail,the data cards too did not work.

About the Games website, managed by CMC Limited, it''sless said the better.

Click on the medals tally and it shows the number ofmedals won by teams but with a catch -- ''subject to officialconfirmation'' -- given at the bottom.

Nobody had a clue how reliable was the information put upon the website.

In-charge of the web department said they were helplessas they too were handicapped by the lack of information flow.