‘Hygiene bigger concern than terror attack at CWG’

MELBOURNE - Swimming Australia (SA) coach Leigh Nugent Saturday said hygiene is a bigger concern for their swimmers than a terror attack at the Commonwealth Games Village.

Nugennt said the athletes have no resistance to stomach infections and mosquito-borne viruses found in the sub-continent.

“You can go to a Western country and still get sick, but on the sub-continent they have bugs we have no resistance to,” Nugent was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

“Things like vomiting and diarrhoea can run rampant through a team, wreaking havoc on months of preparation and destroying medal chances,” he observed.

“So, you have to be extra vigilant and make sure you have as many preventative measures in place as you can.”

Nugent said every Australian swimmer had been inoculated against diseases which they might suffer during the Oct 3-14 Games.

As part of the preventive measures, the althletes will be provided hand-sanitising gel, probiotics to boost immunity, long-sleeved shirts, full-length trousers and bug repellents to guard against dengue fever and malaria in their rooms.

The coach said athletes have also been told about the kind of food they can try at the Games Village.

“Bottled water must be used at all times, even for brushing teeth,” Nugent said. “And even when you are having a shower, you should keep your mouth closed.”

Nugent said since there will be so many athletes camping at the Village, the swimmers will always be prone to an infection.

“We are living in the Village with probably 7,000 or 8,000 other people and not everyone has good hygiene, and you don’t know who has touched the door in front of you,” he said.

“Touching things, you can pick up bugs that you’re not used to in our normal environment and next thing you’re sick and out of action,” Nugent noted.

“All of these bugs are invisible, so you have to be ultra-careful.”

Nugent earlier termed Delhi as the last chance for Australian swimmers to reclaim their number two ranking in the world.

–Indo–Asian News Service