By IANS,
Wellington : A leading New Zealand newspaper Friday showered praise on India for successfully hosting the Commonwealth Games, saying “Delhi far exceeded expectations”.
“As the Games ended Thursday, Delhi had them in good order,” the New Zealand Herald reported.
“There were no terrorist attacks, no venues collapsed, transport lanes worked a treat, and no athletes were struck down by dengue fever,” the paper said.
“For a Games where all the (western media) talk going in was about cancellation, and where athletes bailed out pre-Games for fears over their safety and hygiene, Delhi far exceeded expectations,” it said.
Delhi proved the Commonwealth Games were not about venues, transport and accommodation – it’s about athletes and their competition, and if that goes smoothly and is exciting, nothing else matters, the paper said.
“Delhi has performed. The feeling is the end result has been good,” Commonwealth Games Federation chairman Mike Fennell told reporters Friday in New Delhi.