Australia, India dominate

Commonwealth Games organisers defended the Delhi showpiece and insisted yesterday that empty stadiums would fill up as Australia and India took a stranglehold on the medals table.

Glitches continue to haunt the event for nations and territories of the former British Empire, with row after row of empty seats a major concern.

Embattled organising committee chief Suresh Kalmadi blamed the lack of spectators on ticket booths not being set up outside stadiums, and said the blunder had been fixed.

“We have set up in every stadium now ticket box offices,” said Kalmadi, who was booed at the opening ceremony after a shambolic lead-up to the Games.

“There were problems, some of the ticket stalls were not put up, but all the stalls are up now at all the stadiums. The situation has been rectified.”

Australia, meanwhile, continued to dominate, adding another five gold medals to the four it won on Monday.

They swept the board on the opening day of cycling at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, taking three gold and breaking three Games records.

Anna Meares defended her 500m time trial title, before Scott Sunderland clinched the 1000m and Jack Bobridge made it three in the 4000m individual pursuit.

It completed an astonishing comeback for Meares, who broke her neck in a cycling accident at the World Cup in January 2008.

Meares shaved more than half-a-second off her own best to cross the line in 33.758sec, beating compatriot Kaarle McCulloch with Becky James of Wales claiming bronze.

More successs came in the pool where Leiston Pickett won the women’s 50m breastroke.

Other swimming gold went to England’s Fran Halsall in the women’s 50m butterfly, compatriot Liam Tancock in the men’s 50m backstroke and Scotland’s Robbie Renwick who upset the odds to take the 200m freestyle title.

Australia completed a stellar day by winning the gym-nastics women’s team gold, with England second and Canada third.

Indians were also celebrating after matching Australia’s five gold medal haul with Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang opening their account by winning the men’s 10m air rifle pairs.

“There were tremendous expectations, huge pressure. It was not easy for me for sure,” said Bindra, the Beijing Olympics gold medalist.

Their success was quickly followed by Anisa Syyed and Rahi Sarnobat overcoming a strong challenge from Australia to win the women’s 25m Pistol Pairs.

The hosts then completed a clean sweep on the first day of the Greco Roman wrestling contest, with Anil Kumar (96kg), Sanjay (74kg), and Ravinder Singh (60kg) all proving too good for the rest of the field.