Sport

Mumbai stadium gets fire safety clearance to host World Cup matches

There were doubts after the ground authorities failed to comply to safety standards despite four visits and the Eden Gardens fiasco.

Associated Press

February 22, 2011

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Mumbai's newly-renovated Wankhede Stadium has cleared fire safety standards and is fit to host World Cup matches, according to a news report.

Officials from the Mumbai Fire Brigade who inspected the stadium on Tuesday said the venue had complied with all the fire safety norms, the Indian news agency Press Trust of India said.

"We have given them a compliance certificate. They can host matches. The stadium is safe and secure," AN Shinde, Mumbai's deputy chief fire officer, said.

Last week, the fire department officials had given match organisers a scare when they declared that they were unhappy with the fire safety system at the venue. Wankhede Stadium, which seats around 45,000 spectators, is the venue for three World Cup matches, including the final on April 2.

Allaying fears about the stadium, World Cup tournament director Ratnakar Shetty said Sunday that security would not be compromised and that all fire safety norms would be met.

Shinde said fire officials had made four rounds of inspections of the stadium before issuing a "no objection certificate."

The Mumbai Fire Brigade would also have fire trucks, water tankers and firefighters posted at the stadium during the matches, he said.

Wankhede will also host two group matches - New Zealand vs Canada on March 13 and New Zealand vs Sri Lanka on March 18.

The state government of Maharashtra has also asked the International Cricket Council to pay for the extra security they have requested for players at World Cup matches in Mumbai and Nagpur, a top official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak.

The ICC have sought enhanced security in Mumbai and Nagpur, said the state official, in the wake of a terror attack by Pakistan-based Islamic militants in 2008 that killed 166 people.

LOTTERY DRAW FOR FINAL TICKETS

The ICC have scrapped plans for an online purchasing system for the World Cup final after it crashed on its opening day, and will now arrange for a lottery instead.

None of the 1,000 tickets available could be sold on Monday after the system went down almost immediately after opening for business. Millions of fans tried to buy tickets for the April 2 final in Mumbai's newly-renovated Wankhede Stadium.

Only 3,000 tickets will be sold to the public. The remainder of the 33,000 tickets will be shared by more than the 300 clubs affiliated to the local cricket body and the Indian board and the ICC.

Ratnakar Shetty, the tournament director, said these tickets will be now given away through an online draw system. "They (ICC) will very soon send out a date and time whereby people can apply online for the tickets. Later, after a draw is held those winning their bids will be asked to buy the same online," Shetty told the AP.

"Also, no one person can buy more than two tickets."

The MCA will sell only 3,000 tickets to the public through website/window sales.

Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing

In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.

While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.

In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all). 

“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”

Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.

"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

The Africa Institute 101

Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.