Shelia Dikshit confident games will go ahead
It was on the brink of being an unmitigated disaster but India look to have pulled the Commonwealth Games back from the precipice with Delhi chief minister Shelia Dikshit saying that she is confident things will go ahead.
One of the major sticking points has been the athletes’ village with some competitors even pulling out the games on the back of it. Dikshit said: “The Commonwealth Games Village is absolutely ready and for the first time, I am feeling very satisfied. Everybody is happy with the arrangements.”
Pictures of the village showed conditions looking quite frankly diabolical, half-installed sinks, mud and animal foot prints everywhere and since then snakes have been found in rooms. It has prompted athletes to leave and find other accommodation, while some haven’t turned up at all in the case of Phillips Idowu and others.
“The Village is absolutely ready,” Dikshit said. “Cleanliness and other aspects are now up to the mark. The Village has reached a stage where there is no complaint. I am feeling happy. Everybody is feeling happy. Most importantly the players are happy,”
Other than the village a bridge has collapsed, a roof caved in and monkeys employed as police. In many ways it has been absolutely chaotic but with the October 3rd starting date getting ever closer the organisers have had to work hard in order to achieve completion.
However early fears have eased as Wales’s team press officer Jane Williams said: "The conditions are brilliant in our accommodation, the food hall is fantastic and the athletes are already into their training."
Although Scotland’s press officer, Katriona Bush was less complementary stating: "We are still concerned that facilities are up to standard in all the accommodation blocks. We are joining forces with other nations in an effort to ensure that it [accommodation] is the same for everyone."
It has detracted somewhat from the competition with the athletes playing second fiddle now to the scandal. It’s a shame because it would be good for India to host a sporting event of this magnitude, and also good for athletes, particularly the athletes representing the different countries of Britain as they will be looking to put in a stellar performance in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
However if India do pull it together and put on a great show than without doubt it will curry favour with the rest of the world and all the early tribulations will soon be forgotten.
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