The extent to which the relationship between Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper and the 2010 Games Organising Committee (OC) has soured was evident when organizing committee officials tried to stop the New Zealander from addressing the media at their headquarters in New Delhi.
After OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi sought his ouster from Delhi, calling him an "impediment", Hooper had organized a meeting with journalists at the Games OC headquarters to give his side of the story, but he was stopped from addressing meet on Thursday.
The CWG organizing committee general secretary, Lalit Bhanot, asked Hooper not to speak to journalists in the headquarter premises.
A surprised Hooper asked for a few minutes to answer the questions put forth to him by the scribes, but Bhanot didn't relent, saying that he was acting on the OC's order.
"I don't know but you can't speak here," was all that Bhanot kept repeating when Hooper sought an explanation.
Hooper ultimately had to leave the premises and conduct the press conference at a pavement outside the OC headquarters.
