Delhi traffic, not security, worries Kiwis
By IANSWednesday, February 24, 2010
WELLINGTON - Delhi’s chaotic traffic, not security, is causing real concern to the New Zealand hockey team now in India for the World Cup.
New Zealand manager Kevin Marr said the team was amazed that their bus hardly got any “exclusion zone” while moving from the hotel to the hockey stadium despite stringent security.
“Indian traffic being what it is, it’s proving quite difficult for them to create a little bit of an exclusion zone around the vehicles themselves,” Marr told the New Zealand Herald.
“It doesn’t matter how many sirens and guys you’ve got waving arms, they largely just ignore it. And if there’s a gap between you and another vehicle, they’re quite happy to take it,” he told the daily from Delhi, where the New Zealand arrived this week.
In contrast, he said he was satisfied with the security provided by Indian authorities.
“The hotel itself has tremendous security, so the players are very much at ease within the hotel environment. We’ve only been to the grounds once, and there was certainly very evident security there,” Marr added.
Al Qaeda’s Pakistan arm last week warned of attacks in India, particularly targeting upcoming international sports events like the Commonwealth Games, the hockey World Cup and the IPL cricket.
The hockey World Cup begins Feb 28.
