The organisers of Dehli’s Commonwealth Games have for the first time admitted a ‘collective failure’ – but insist the games will go ahead.
New Zealand’s lawn bowls, hockey and badminton teams were scheduled to begin arriving in Delhi on Saturday, but after inspection they have decided to push back their arrival dates.
Scotland and Canada had announced they were delaying sending athletes to New Delhi. Scotland cited health and security fears over conditions in the athletes’ village. Wales has sought guarantees over the safety of the accommodation on offer.
Yesterday Commonwealth Games England Chairman Sir Andrew Foster told Channel 4 News his organising was “monitoring the situation day by day”, warning that there were “serious things which must improve” if the England team was to take part.
'There are many questions to answer'
India, as ever, is a land of contrasts, writes Keme Nzerem in New Delhi.
Driving from the airport, we passed desperately poor folk and unfinished building work everywhere. Get to the hotel and we’re bombarded with 24-hour news channels and talk of the national disgrace that is the Commonwealth Games.
There appear to be few attempts to put a silver lining on this cloud. The news this morning is dominated by new photos of the athletes' village, filthy and flooded, while politicians continue to bicker and blame each other.
The village is schdeuled to open today so security can begin to "sweep" - it's hard to imagine how this can be more than a perfunctory exercise.
The Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, today conceded there was “widespread concern about the Commonwealth Games”, telling reporters that “the decision on whether to attend the games is obviously a matter for individuals”.
Australia’s foreign minister, Kevin Rudd, has urged anyone travelling to the games to heed “high-risk” travel warnings.
Delhi assurances
Organisers in Deli today assured participants that improvements had been and that the games would go ahead.
These assurances include accommodation maintenance, plus proof that all structural safety certificates for both the village and the venues are in place, backed with full insurance cover through the Delhi 2010 Organising Committee.
In addition, top hoteliers in the region have been brought in to oversee the cleanliness of the athletes’ village.
Lalit Bhanot, the secretary general of the organising committee, who had previously caused controversy by claiming that the problem was in part down to different standards of hygiene between the host nation and other countries, said he was confident the Games would be a success.
“The government along with the organising committee have made all efforts to get the place up to the standard that is desirable,” he said.
“Everything is fine. We have seen the work that has gone on in the past few days and you will see that the standard will be brought to the desired level.”
The Commonwealth Games open in New Delhi on 3 October.