Organisers insist Games will go ahead

Athletics: Commonwealth Games organisers have vowed the levels of hygiene at the athletes' village would be upgraded to meet…

A collapsed pedestrian bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi September 21st, 2010. - (Photograph: Reuters)
A collapsed pedestrian bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi September 21st, 2010. - (Photograph: Reuters)

Athletics:Commonwealth Games organisers have vowed the levels of hygiene at the athletes' village would be upgraded to meet participants' expectations after several nations expressed concerns over the state of the facility and cast doubt on whether the event should go ahead.

Team leaders from England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia and Canada admitted "grave concerns" over the accommodation for the 6,500 team members and said some was "unsafe and unfit for human habitation".

But on a day when a bridge next to the main stadium also collapsed - injuring up to 23 constructors - five critically - Lalit Bhanot, the secretary general of the organising committee remains convinced the troubles will be resolved ahead of the Games opening on October 3rd.

At a press conference, Bhanot said: "According to us the room may be clean, but the foreign officials may require a certain standard of cleanliness and hygiene which may differ from our standards.

READ MORE

"So in order to bridge this gap, we have appointed people to ensure the kind of hygiene they are looking for is done.

"Whatever the concerns expressed. We are looking into everything and it will be resolved before the teams arrive. We are on the job and everyone is working day and night.

"We have visited villages from various games and if you see ours it is world class.

"The deep cleaning needs to be done but it will not affect the games. All other things and all other venues are ready and in the best of condition to conduct these events."

Major Dalbir Singh, mayor of the Games village, added: "We are all putting things together and the infirmities and the problems and complaints and the points raised are of a reasonably routine nature.

"When you move into the new house there may be things that don't work. There may be some cleaning work that is required, which is being done. It is a continuous ongoing process. It has been going on so far and will be done in the next two days.

"Gaps are there in the system but those gaps have been identified and action has been taken to sort it out."

India's urban development minister Jaipal Reddy claims to be as "confident and cool as ever" that the Games will be a success.

"Concerns about cleanliness and maintenance will be addressed urgently and properly. You have nothing to worry about," he insisted. "There is no complaint on the quality of the Commonwealth Games village. This is about the quality of services and the quality of maintenance.

"They wanted more labour to be pressed into service. And more labour will be provided to attend to cleanliness and maintenance.

"These are all minor hiccups. We don't like to neglect any one of them. The athletes have not arrived yet and by that time they come in a couple of days, all concerns will be addressed.

"I can tell you with all the sincerity at my command that I am not worried at all. I am as confident and as cool as ever about organising the Commonwealth Games in a successful, comfortable way."

A statement from Commonwealth Games Scotland today confirmed their concerns, saying: "Representation has been made to the Commonwealth Games Federation to make a realistic decision as to at what point and under what conditions they would determine whether the Games will be able to go ahead should the village issues not be resolved."

The Scottish team were given other accommodation after complaining but this still required a major cleaning and maintenance programme carried out by team officials and local volunteers.

"However many of the other blocks in the residential zone still remain in a highly unsatisfactory state," said their statement.

Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell has admitted the village is "seriously compromised" and has written to the Indian Cabinet Secretary expressing his "great concern".

He said: "The village is the cornerstone of any Games and the athletes deserve the best possible environment to prepare for their competition.

"Many nations that have already sent their advanced parties to set up within the village have made it abundantly clear that, as of the afternoon of September 20th, the Commonwealth Games village is seriously compromised."