CWG: Australian team asked to pay for damages
By IANSFriday, October 15, 2010
NEW DELHI - The Australians have been asked to pay for damages after a washing machine fell from a balcony in the Australian area in the Commonwealth Games Village, an Indian official said Friday.
Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, however dismissed reports of vandalism blamed on the Australian contingent.
“There has been no vandalism. The players were just celebrating. The broken washing machine was an accident,” Bhanot told IANS.
“We have asked the Australians to pay for the damage and they agreed. No complaint has been registered against anyone,” he said.
Bhanot gave no further details. But a senior Australian official said a washing machine was indeed dropped from the balcony allotted to the Australian contingent.
No one was injured in the incident, chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association Perry Crosswhite said in remarks published Friday.
The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying the incident took place after the Commonwealth Games ended Thursday.
“We don’t know who did that,” he said. “Delhi Police came around and they have done an investigation.”
He also revealed that an Australian athlete was sent home a few days ago for bad behaviour but did not reveal the person’s identity.
