(Pic, above) The president of
Brunei Darussalam National
Olympic Council (BNOC), His
Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah
(right), being greeted by an Indian
official after arriving in New Delhi
on Friday. At left is Dato Paduka
Hj Sidek Ali, Brunei's High
Commissioner to India. Pictures:
Infofoto/ EPA

Prince Sufri arrives in Indian capital

The president of Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council (BNOC), His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, on Friday arrived in New Delhi to attend the 19th Commonwealth Games in India.

And the Prince went straight to work attending a Games meeting at Ashok Hotel in New Delhi yesterday, according to an RTB report.

Brunei is being represented by 11 lawn bowls players and one Paralympic athlete Alihan Muda at the Games.

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Awang Hj Hazair Hj Abdullah yesterday made a courtesy call to India's Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr MS Gill at the latter's office.

Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Awang Hj Hazair is in India to attend the fifth meeting among Sports Ministers of Commonwealth countries which will be held tomorrow.

According to a Press release issued by the Department of Youth and Sports yesterday, the meeting is being held in conjunction with the 19th Commonwealth Games which India is hosting in New Delhi from Oct 3-14.

During the visit Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Awang Hj Hazair expressed his thanks to his counterpart for the invitation to both events and satisfaction at the preparation for the Games.

Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Laila Diraja Dato Paduka Awang Hj Hazair also stressed that Brunei's involvement in the Games was not just to win medals but to also increase ties of friendship, cooperation and unity between the Commonwealth nations.

The two ministers agreed to improve on the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of youth and sports, with the possibility of creating a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Among the ideas of cooperation that were discussed were a youth exchange programme between the two countries and training of coaches in sports.

Meanwhile, the organising committee of the Delhi Games and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) have announced that the opening ceremony today will see athletes given prime importance.

According to CGF president Michael Fennell it had been decided that athletes would be seated alongside other guests at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

This will be the first time in the history of the Commmonwealth Games that athletes would not move to the centre of the stadium after marching with their respective contingents, but would be seated alongside other dignitaries.

"The Games are about the athletes, the ceremony recognises the commencement of the Games, so it is appropriate that the athletes are honoured in this way," Fennel told the Games' website. "Both the CGF and the organising committee have agreed that the emphasis during the ceremony must be on the athletes, allowing them to be the focus of attention," he added.

Courtesy from Brunei Times