England hockey team arrives in New Delhi
The English hockey squad was the first batch of athletes to arrive in New Delhi for the upcoming 2010 Commonwealth Games. The 22-member squad opted to stay at a hotel instead of the still unfinished Athletes Village, and the members of the delegation were
escorted by armed police officers upon their arrival into the Indian capital.
India is facing criticism from the participating teams due to their lack of preparation towards hosting the quadrennial meet. The collapse of a footbridge near the main stadium coupled with the unfinished and filthy accommodations in the Athletes Village
has turned off many nations, resulting in the absence of several world-class athletes. A dengue outbreak in the city and the recent shooting of two tourists only added to India's preparation woes.
Among the countries that have heavily criticized India's preparations are Oceania giants Australia and New Zealand. Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates shared his thoughts on the matter, saying that India should never have been awarded the
hosting rights to the Games, citing the country's difficulty in providing adequate accommodations and facilities for the athletes. New Zealand officials echoed his sentiments, saying that Indian officials must work double time if the event is to push through
as scheduled.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell said that improvement works had been done at the playing venues and Athletes Village, but there was a lot of work that still needed to be done in time for the Games' opening on October 3.
He personally inspected the playing and accommodation venues in New Delhi.
Delhi Organizing Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said extra security measures have been taken to ensure the safety of the athletes. She added that more than 1,000 workers have been deployed to the Athlete's Village to clean the rooms and fix malfunctioning
toilets.
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