Commonwealth journey through my eyes : Training sessions

22nd June 2010:General Training for volunteers @ Amity ,Noida

First and foremost i would like to thank Delhi Metro services becuase without our dear beloved metro i would never even imagined to reach Noida alone (almost 4o kilometres from my place) in any other public transport and that too in flat 45 minutes.And from there Amity University provided their buses to their campus.

I was excited for the first training session chiefly because of two reasons it was my first experience at attending any such training event in life and secondly, because somewhere inside my heart i was proud to be associated to a national sports event.The introduction session was good and basically they showed us some videos of Melbourne Games when the baton was given to India and we invited the world to Delhi for the games in 2010.Some messages by Mr.Suresh Kalmadi and Mr.Ashok Chauhan who aspired that volunteers will become like super-human and help in delivering the best -ever games.Suddenly we all the volunteers were part of the Delhi United team.And then the training part began where they associated each letter of DELHI UNITED to an aspect of training module and the qualities they thought an ideal volunteer should imbibe in himself/herself.Example: D was for Dedication, T was for Training and Team-work. After the introductory session all the volunteers present were divided into groups 20-30 and had to go to various rooms for each session on D,E,L and so on.The things most of us already knew were repeated like boring classrooms lectures in same monotonous school-type of instructors.The two sessions which stand-apart from all other sessions were N-Namaste session by Mr.Rumao James , it was funny,enjoyable and helped us to learn the etymology of Namaste and the proper way to greet someone desi style.Another session was where the group was divided into teams of 5-6 people and each team was asked to a prepare a cheer-up song.I remember singing Chak-De India with my team ,it was great team building exercise and helped in breaking the ice .

Though the food served to us was bad and cold and I remember hardly eating something.Besides this we were shown a lot a pakao powerpoint presentations and we were advised to read newspapers and try to collect every information available related to games.We also got a heavy manaul at the end of the session to carry along with us which had all the information regarding games even the things they told us during the training sessions was repeated there.It was too fat almost 200 page books with a little font.We were told to read that before coming for the next training session ,I never read it and I'm sure most of the volunteers didn't read it .I donot know why we believe in wasting so much money and paper.

18th August 2010:Role Specific Training@Amity, Noida

Being a journalism student i expected that i would be a given a job related to press.But i was a Spectator Services Assistant (SPS Asst).I was very disappointed about this development.

Theni went for the training , and believe me this training was ione of the most boring training/sessions i had ever attended in my life.Being a SPS asst i had to perform some nine role mainly Ushering,Soft ticket check,directional assistance,Public Information booth and Stroller storage booth (which during the games never existed in any of the stadiums).And for each of these functions to be performed they had a powerpoint presentation.But whoever made those powerpoint presentations had only pre-dominant notion/assumption in his mind that all the volunteers are DUMB.To cite two examples they were trying to teach us types of ques and what is a stroller through powerpoint presenatations(mind you all the volunteers were 18 year olds or more).It was so dragged as they wanted to kill the time till the evening they could have well finished that training in a half day.This training session was a real test of patience even when i had a good friend along i am even afraid to imagine myself without her at that training session.

At the same training i got to know that some 2000-3000 left the volunteer programme and i thought how lucky they are they don’t have to bear all this.Plus, as directed by them we read newspaper and magazines to gain information about CWG but at this stage there scams, delays in construction sites and corruption in giving out tenders.But when some us tried to raise questions they refused or turned a blind eye towards them and that really pissed us off.Even the sessions this time were classroom type lectures in monotonous tone with virtually no participation from volunteers.

The food was as bad as it was last time but i had learnt my lesson and took food from home.And when it ended i felt like i was set free from a prison.

The only thing i learnt at this training was the motto/mantra of our functional area (largest among all FA’s)Spectator Services “Flawless Service for a memorable experience” and while writing this i think we managed to do it well.

After coming back from this training (though the seeds of quitting were sown by my friend in my mind) i considered quitting but then I thought by doing so i would be purely acting like a politician who just comes for the inauguration/stone-laying ceremonies and then they forget about it and the optimistic in me was still hopeful of some miracles and surprises.

3rd September 2010: Venue Specific Training @ Siri Fort Sports Complex

Though the Siri Fort Sports Complex is on a walking distance from my college but still it took me more than half an hour to reach the stadium because i couldn't find the entry gate for the volunteers.Though i was amazed at the beautiful stadium initially but after some time i could make out a lot of work was left and the games were just a month away.But i have to admit they did good work ,it was certainly state of art infrastructure inside the stadium and they did manage to impress me and were contradictory to a lot of media reports as well.

The training took place inside plaza of the stadium.We were introduced to some former players who were officials and supervisors at the stadium.Some more presentations about the stadium and the games of Badminton and Squash ,some tips,words of advice on conduct of volunteers and issues of security were discussed.Then we were given sight-seeing of the whole stadium with a team leader.Also we met our Team :paid staff at the stadium.

But at the end of the training what i saw was heartening to see some child labourers working at the stadium and i still have that question in my mind if i was Demographic Dividend for my nation serving at the prestigious CWG event what were they?http://surbhidevcomm.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/child-labour-a-future-lost/

But i like the security arrangements and was very satisfied with them and would to thank Joint CP/Crime :Rajesh Goyal who guided us on that day and also who successfully supervised the arrangements during the entire games.

Once again we were called at the stadium on 28th Sept 2010 for a kind a full-dress rehearsal and on that i was given the duty of Public Information desk though without any information so when some people came from OC and asked me about some information and I had no clue i looked like a fool because of some inefficient people.At the same day i was one of the few volunteers who were invited at the launch of theme song for Delhi United Volunteers at Le Meridien but my venue manager never allowed to go for that and i still hold grudges for that against him.But i never heard the theme song at my stadium at all ,i don't know where it got lost i only heard jeeyo jeeto song from Rehman.

26th September 2010:Spectator Services Volunteers Final Coordination @ OC Headquaters

As the name suggests it was the final co-ordination meet to praise the efforts of volunteers till and to boost their morale to give their best during the games.How can any of this be complete without presentations and speeches.Plus we were re-introduced to our teams which most of us had already met at the Venus specific training itself.Also present at this event was Mr.Suresh Kalmadi and Mr.Rajiv Shukla ,Chairman,Spectator Services Committee.Though till date i couldn't figure out why Mr.Suresh Kalmadi was given a standing Ovation by the volunteers when he came in but to clarify i was not one of them .Mr.Shukla in his speech did admit that "hamara band baaja hua hain" giving a covert message that volunteers should put their best foot forward and save the reputation of Organizing Committee.Not to forget that both the members of parliament Mr.Kalmadi and Mr.Shukla were late for the event and we had to wait for them.The session concluded with some clarification session for the volunteers.At this meet we were informed that we had to report at our venues in the coming days for the full-dress rehearsal.

At the end, Would sign off by

"Volunteers are not paid because they are worthless but because they are priceless"