Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 1 (IANS) Zig-zag hair cuts, flags painted on nails, herbal facials, exotic pedicure and manicure - athletes are making a beeline for the salon at the Commonwealth Games Village to look their best for the Games opening ceremony Sunday.

The Shahnaz Husian Unisex Salon at the International Zone in the Village has been taking advance bookings to handle the rush.

“The salon is offering free muscle relaxing oil worth Rs.8,000 ($180) to all the athletes, besides free haircuts and refresher packs,” Ritika Anand, supervisor at the Salon, told IANS.

“The response is excellent and daily we are getting 40 to 50 customers who seek a variety of services. We are making advance bookings and the demand is increasing day-by-day.”

The players and delegates are opting for a variety of beauty care treatments but facials, haircuts, body massages and nail art tops the list.

The salon currently has 10 staff members but seeing the rush, it has decided to bring in 10 more people.

“The England team manager has asked us to prepare a package for 200 to 300 players for beauty treatments from head to toe before the opening ceremony,” Anand said.

“Most of the people are coming here for pedicures, manicures and body massages. We are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. but following the huge rush we have stretched our timings by an hour or more,” she added.

Foreign players are also going for nail art and they want their country’s flag painted.

“I have got the Canadian flag painted on my right hand’s nails and the Indian flag on left. I am also getting pedicure and manicure done ahead of the opening ceremony Sunday,” said Canadian weightlifter Marilon Dozois Prevnt.

Glorey C. Okaka, a Nigerian official, said: “I have booked myself for a diamond facial for 3 p.m. Saturday. I am gonna try some more treatments in the next 15 days.”

As far as the price is concerned, one has to shell out Rs.250 for a shampoo and the most expensive is the Aroma Delight Scrub Body Massage that comes for Rs.2,500. The Salon has already done business of over Rs.50,000.

“People do ask us if the cosmetics used by us are safe. We tell them it is herbal and then they have no problems,” said Deepika Shukla, deputy manager (Press and PR) at the Salon.

Some 7,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories are expected to attend the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games, India’s biggest international event after the 1982 Asian Games.