By IANS,
New Delhi: Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi with a triumphant look announced that world-class infrastructure and fantastic facilities built for the Oct 3-14 event have put Delhi a decade ahead as the Queen’s Baton Relay reached the host city.
The Games festivities will kick off Friday with schools in Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) commencing 17-day vacation as part of the steps for smoother traffic movement and will also encourage sports-loving students to watch the Games.
Pakistan teams, which arrived late Wednesday, spoke of good showing at the Games as top Indian athletes also checked into the Games Village.
The entire Australian swimming team of 52, which had stayed in Malaysia because of security concerns, also moved into the Village.
A 1,000 more athletes and officials arrived at the Village Thursday, taking the total number at the complex to around 5,500.
With events in many of the Games’ 17 disciplines scheduled to start several days after the opening Oct 3, organisers announced Thursday that those taking part in those events can continue to come till Oct 8.
India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra will have the honour of the carrying the Queen’s Baton to the Games opening ceremony at the Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium.
The Beijing Olympic gold medal winner and Bronze medallist Vijender were among the top Indian athletes who have moved into the Village, chef-de-mission of the Indian contingent Bhubneshwar Kalita said here Thursday.
Shooter Samresh Jung, the best athlete of the 2006 Melbourne Games, boxer Akhil Kumar, squash star Joshna Chinnappa and ace archers Dola Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar had also checked into the Village, taking the number of Indian athletes residing there to over 460, Kalita said.
The Pakistani hockey team officials were confident of good showing at the Games, though it had a dismal run in the hockey World Cup in Feb-March here, finishing last spot (12th place).
“Commonwealth Games are a good platform for us to revive our game. We would surely learn many things that could also help us in the Asian Games. Playing against European teams will certainly improve our technique and speed,” Ahmed Alam, former Pakistan captain and the present assistant coach of the team, told IANS.
On the Games being held in India, Khawaja Muhammad Junaid, former Olympian and manager of Pakistan hockey team said “it is a matter of pride that an Asian country is hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time and they had no apprehension about India’s capability to organise it.”
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