Games Village top class, say Isle of Man shooters

NEW DELHI - They came here fearing the worst. But the Games Village came as a pleasant surprise for shooters from the Isle of Man — the tiny island betwen England and Ireland which is subject to British rule — after days of unrelenting negative publicity over the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

The visiting shooters’ fears were allayed the moment they stepped onto the international airport here and were escorted by a posse of security personnel to their accommodation at the Village.

“I was reading a couple of Indian newspapers at the airport on my arrival and they had ripped apart the facilities at the Village. We came armed with hand sanitisers and a medical kit but what we saw here has been unbelievably good. We have had a great time so far. It’s been a pleasant surprise,” said Steven Watterson who arrived Sunday along with his five-member shooting team.

The Isle of Man, the 572 sq km island in the middle of Irish Sea, is a self-governing territory. Though the British Queen is head of the state, the island is not part of the UK. The island, with a population of around 80,000, has sent a 31-member team to compete in seven sports, including cycling, archery, swimming and shooting.

“The food here is excellent, the Village gymnasium is world class, the athletic track and wrestling facilities are outstanding. We had no problems regarding hygiene. The rooms are clean, and the security is top class. Our quarters are next to Scotland, Jersey, and Guernsey and they also share the same view. It is nothing like what the media has portrayed.”

Watterson, who also participated in the Manchester Games in the 10m air-rifle, finds the Village better than the 2002 edition.

“I have been to Manchester and I think this one is better. We were staying in the University, so the things were smooth. But it was very self-contained and a bit boring. There was nothing much to do. There were constant overcast conditions,” Watterson, who is on his maiden visit to India, told IANS.

“But it is very colourful here. There are a lot more activities. There are very nice handicrafts outlets here and I am sure I have a lot of shopping to do for my girlfriend and family. The rehearsals here are fascinating to watch. Also, the weather is perfect. It is quite cold back home.”

Watterson’s teammate David Walton, a bronze medallist in the Olympic men’s trap event at the 2006 Melbourne Games, said he is enjoying his stay here.

“The Village is very good. It is at par with the one we had at Melbourne. There were minor problems which were sorted out. The security is robust and alert. The facilities are fantastic and we are looking forward to checking out the venue tomorrow,” Walton told IANS.

The Games Village came under severe criticism after several delegates of the Commonwealth countries termed the accommodation “filthy and uninhabitable”, prompting the participating nations to delay their arrival.

(Pragya Tiwari can be contacted at pragya.t@ians.in)