Thaindian News

Sydney, Sep 18 (IANS) Indian authorities have finally released Australia’s Commonwealth Games sporting equipment after it remained in the port for more than 10 days.
ACGA (Australian Commonwealth Games Association) chief executive Perry Crosswhite received an email Friday that the equipment was on the move.

Crosswhite expected the container to be loaded on a train Friday for a journey from Mumbai to Delhi.

“The two to three-day journey, a security check of the container in Delhi and transport to the athletes village should have the equipment to the team by Friday,” Crosswhite was quoted as saying in Daily Telegraph said.

“The normal wait time at a port is around three to four days, which means the equipment will arrive more than a week late and in the nick of time.

“As far as setting up our medical operation, our doctors and all of them come in on the Friday, so we’ll be ready for them to set up.

“The athletes don’t start arriving until September 27.”

The first container arrived Sep 6 to the port of Mumbai but a shipping backlog forced the vessel to anchor off-shore for 12 days.

It contained poles belonging to champion vaulter Steve Hooker along with training equipment, medical supplies and furniture for the ACGA to set up headquarters for the Games.

The ACGA made a desperate plea to Sujatha Singh, India’s high commissioner to Australia, who contacted India’s Ministry of Shipping and asked that the ship be berthed and the container be unloaded.