Some African players move into CWG village, others wait for clean rooms

NEW DELHI - While most of the countries participating in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games are satisfied with the facilities at the Games Village, diplomats of some African nations are monitoring “day-by-day” the cleaning up of the apartments, hoping they will be ready for their players’ arrival in the next day or two.

“We have an advanced team sitting in the Village, and they are pushing the people on the cleaning. Hopefully by the team arrives tomorrow (Wednesday), they should be ready,” Lesotho High Commissioner Shabbir Hoosen Peerbhai told IANS.

“Things are being decided day-by-day,” Peerbhai said, on whether the teams will go straight from the airport to the Village.

“The deal is that if the rooms are not ready, they will be checking into Ashoka Hotel first,” he added.

When asked if other African nations also have the same issues, Peerbhai said: “Most of us are in the same boat.”

Meanwhile, South African athletes checked into the Village Tuesday.

“The teams moved into the Village in two different batches. The first batch moved in between five and six this evening. The next batch moved in at seven. The village is very comfortable and we are very happy with the developments,” the South African contingent’s media spokesperson Mark Keohane told IANS.

One hundred and fifty athletes and 230 officers were earlier accommodated in a five-star hotel after they complained of deficiencies in the Village.

“All our athletes have started to train at the facilities,” Keohane added.

The Nigerian chef de mission Elias Usman Gora also said his country’s participants are “very happy and impressed” with the Commonwealth Games facilities, have started training there and are optimistic about winning medals at the ten-day sporting event.

“Our six coaches who visited the facilities are very happy and impressed, so are our participants. They have started training already and we will work towards winning medals at the Games,” Gora told IANS.

The Nigerian coaches inspected the Games facilities Monday evening and submitted a report to Gora on the safety, security and health aspects.

Nigeria has sent 104 participants and 54 officials for the Commonwealth Games.

On Monday, Gora had termed the Games Village “the best ever”.

“The rooms are the best ever provided in any other Commonwealth Games. The food is also great. The international zone is a great place,” he said.