With less than 150 days to go to the opening of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi on 3rd October guests at a star-studded sports night will get an early flavour of India when Dame Kelly Holmes hosts a Gala Indian Summer Night at the Grovesnor House Hotel, London, in order to raise funds to send the England team to the Games.

Holmes, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and now President of Commonwealth Games England, will be joined by Jonathan Edwards and Karen Pickering as Indian dancers, comedians and girls’ street dance group Gossip take to the floor to raise money to send an England team to India that can compete at the highest level.

Auction prizes on the night will include VIP tickets to an F1 race, hospitality at Lords, tennis lessons from Tim Henman, centre-court tickets at Wimbledon as well as signed memorabilia and luxury breaks in the UK.

Commonwealth Games England aim to raise £1 million to take the team to the Games and give almost 400 athletes the chance to shine on a multi-sport stage in the lead up to London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.

Whilst preparation and training costs are part-funded for the sports by lottery funding through Sport England, the actual cost of going to the Games is borne entirely by CGE.

“This sporting competition will be the last big multi-sport event before London 2012 and we hope to send our largest ever team to an overseas Games”, said Dame Kelly. “Some of the faces you will see on the Commonwealth podium in Delhi will also be, without question, the stars of our home Olympics. I cherish my Commonwealth Games career and people will support this event and make it possible for other young athletes to reach their dreams”.

For further information about the Indian Summer Night and Commonwealth Games England please contact the Commonwealth Games England press office at Matchtight Ltd on 01225 443998 or 07831 755351or see the CGE’s website at www.weareengland.org <http://www.weareengland.org>


Editors’ Notes:
The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports - archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.

Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England's team at the Commonwealth Games. Team England finished second to Australia on the medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes. England hopes to take a team of almost 400 athletes to the Games and the cost of getting them there and providing optimum conditions is estimated at £1.6 million.