clarinews@clarinet.com (RUTH YOUNGBLOOD) (01/19/90)
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (UPI) -- Workmen are awaiting seats at the Swimming Center, the judo venue is missing part of the floor and disgruntled Maoris are threatening protests during the Commonwealth Games that organizers were hoping to pull off without a hitch. With the 11-day spectacle starting Wednesday, officials are even trying to ward off a garbage strike that might leave fumes generated by the 3,100 athletes from 56 countries. ``We have hit a bottleneck,'' Games Company Chairman Tom Aldridge admitted, eying the Henderson Pool complex where one wall has been removed to make room for a grandstand boosting the seating capacity to a still-modest 3,200. The pool itself is one of the most technologically advanced in the world with a variable floor and movable bulkhead similar to the one used at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. A spokesman for the organizers said while everyone agreed the swimming center was an asset for Auckland to be used after the Games, the city had to weigh the overall cost of extensive permanent seating. ``The trick was to get adequate facilities without leaving a bunch of white elephants,'' the spokesman said. Problems are also plaguing the judo site. The East Pavilion at the Expo Center, where the judo matches will be held, is still without adequate flooring. ``We are giving this special attention,'' said John Fairhurst, general manager of operations. ``The judo is at a public venue which we have to hire, and we could not start there too soon because of the cost.'' Money, or the lack of it, has resulted in the scrapping of some essential facilities and slowdowns in the completion of others. Stuck with a $16.5 million shortfall in hosting the $52.8 million event, the most controversial omission was construction of an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned drug-testing facility. To save the $1.98 million estimated tab, the urine samples from 400 competitors selected at random will be flown daily to the Australian Government Analytical Laboratory in Sydney and guarded constantly to prevent any possibility of tampering. To ensure the integrity of the tests, a team will be working under the supervision of one of the world's leading doping experts, Dr. Manfred Donike of the Cologne Laboratory. ``The three-hour flight won't cause any problems,'' said Dr. Mayne Smeeton, medical director of the Games. ``Vigilance is assured,'' Smeeton said, but results won't be available until the following day. To compound fiscal woes, ticket sales have been disappointingly slow, with plenty still available for track and field, weightlifting, boxing, cycling, judo, shooting and bowls. Only gymnastics, most of the swimming finals and badminton are sold out. The Games have been plagued with obstacles over the last two years. The 1987 stock market crash could not have come at a worse time for the Commonwealth Games Company, the organizers who were just putting together sponsorship proposals. Twelve sponsors were enlisted, including such giants as British Petroleum, Kodak, Nikon, Seiko and Toyota, but officials are convinced more would have joined in a more auspicious economic climate. Also intimidating prospective sponsors was the possibility of another boycott. Thirty-two countries led by the African bloc stayed away from the 1986 Games in Edinburgh, Scotland, to protest Britain's refusal to tighten sanctions against South Africa, leaving only 26 nations participating. While Games officials offer repeated assurances that all venues will be ready on time and the absence of a testing facility in Auckland will not cause unexpected complications, organizers are hoping the colorful celebration of the Maori culture during the opening ceremonies will defuse any demontration plans. The Maoris, the original New Zealanders who now account for 10 percent of the population of 3 million, contend their claims to ancestoral lands have been ignored. Groups are urging sympathizers to wear black clothing or an armband, stage prayer vigils, occupy public areas, conduct their own opening ceremonies, persuade others not to attend and educate tourists about their plight. Particularly infuriating for the Maoris is the $214 million spent on accommodating the athletes in the Commonwealth Village where groups of 10 competitors are housed in pre-fabricated bungalows, earmarked for removal and sale afterwards. While the athletes are delighted with the village tailor-made for them instead of the university dormitories or military barracks which frequently housed Games competitors, the beleaguered Maoris regard the cost as an affront. ``There is a serious housing shortage which especially affects Maori people,'' said a statement from Maori activists. ``Successive governments have claimed that there is no money to alleviate this problem. ``Yet miraculously, the Housing Corporation is providing accommodations for the athletes. How come this money is available for the Games, but not for the people who need it?''