Delhi facilities meet with approval
Rooms were filthy but significant progress made – MOC official
Commonwealth Games organisers appear to be winning their race against time to get facilities in the Games Village up to standard.
Games organisers, responding to complaints that rooms in some of the accommodation blocks were dirty, have had up to 4,000 people working around the clock to get the accommodation ready.
MOC official Julian Pace Bonello, the chef-de-mission of the Maltese squad, was taken aback by the conditions of the rooms allocated to the athletes on his arrival in India on Wednesday but reported significant progress over the last two days.
“I’ve just carried out another inspection of the athletes’ rooms,” Pace Bonello told The Times from Delhi. “When I arrived, the rooms were very filthy but the conditions have improved. The rooms have already been cleaned twice in the last two days and I’m satisfied with the progress.
“I expect everything to be in order by the time the first group of Maltese athletes move into the village tomorrow (today).” The Australian-based members of Malta’s lawn bowls squad were expected to fly into Delhi today. All the athletes in Malta’s 22-strong contingent are expected to arrive in India in time for Sunday’s opening ceremony.
Commonwealth Games England chief press officer Caroline Searle declared herself satisfied with the state of the rooms. “We are absolutely happy with the rooms and apartments that we already have athletes in,” Searle said.
“We are working on a day-by-day basis with Indian staff to get rooms ready for the next wave of athletes coming in.”
The accommodation initially allocated to Team Scotland athletes was branded unfit for human habitation.
But Team Scotland head of media Katriona Bush yesterday said accommodation for the Scottish athletes was up to an “acceptable standard” and athletes were now able to concentrate on their preparations.
“People are settled and happy. Our athletes have started training and getting focused on their events,” she said.
“However 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.”