Hundreds of athletes moved into the Commonwealth Games village in New Delhi yesterday, as it was confirmed Prince Charles will preside at the opening ceremony just five days away.
Despite warnings that work would not be finished at the much-criticised village until tomorrow, athletes and support staff from nations including England, South Africa, Australia and Canada arrived during the day.
Problems plaguing the crisis-hit Games range from shabby accommodation to security fears, an outbreak of dengue fever and doubts about public safety after the collapse of a new footbridge next to the main stadium.
In a desperate bid to finish work on time, an army of manual workers was drafted in to tackle uncompleted apartments, dirty toilets and heaps of builders’ rubbish at the village.
Prince Charles will open the Games on Sunday evening, his office confirmed, playing down reports of a row over who would preside.
Queen Elizabeth, 84, who would normally open the Games as head of the Commonwealth, in May said she would not travel to India due to her hectic schedule and instead sent Prince Charles, her son and heir.
The move, which drew criticism in India, had led organisers to discuss whether Indian President Pratibha Patil should instead open the Games.
“Both the Prince of Wales and the President of India will have a prominent role in the opening ceremony in Delhi,” a spokeswoman at Clarence House, the prince’s official London residence, said.
The Games have been hit by complaints about the athletes’ accommodation and Pakistan yesterday was the latest to air grievances.
“Our delegation found the residential facilities in the village as unsatisfactory so we have given 24 hours to the organisers to bring an improvement or give us a hotel to put up our athletes,” Arif Hasan, president of the Pakistan Olympic Association, told AFP.
The head of the organising committee said most of the apartments at the athletes’ village were finally ready and that the rest would be finished in the next few days.
“The work is going on. Eighty per cent of the flats are OK. All the water has disappeared. To finish it, we need two to three more days,” Suresh Kalmadi told reporters.
The shambolic state of the village brought the multi-sport event to the brink of disaster last week after leading countries hinted that they might pull out.