Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Around 1,100 foreign athletes, officials and media personnel arrived in the Indian capital Sunday for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.

The biggest delegations that arrived were from Kenya (112), Nigeria (69) and Scotland (60). The other arrivals were from countries like Canada, Tanzania, Lesotho, Norfolk Island, Rwanda, Wales, England, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the British Virgin Islands, a press statement from the Organising Committee said.

Canada’s lawn bowls and boxers teams will check into the Games Village Monday.

“Work has progressed far enough now that we’re ready to start moving in to the Village,” said Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) director of sports Scott Stevenson.

“All the necessary maintenance and cleaning has been done in enough rooms to accommodate our advance team, some additional support staff arriving on Sunday, and the first wave of athletes and coaches the day after that.”

Stevenson confirmed that emergency equipment and safety procedures have all been verified and tested.

“Things are starting to look really good,” Stevenson said. “Other parts of the Village, like the Dining Hall and the training facilities, are truly exceptional. The residential towers have been a huge challenge for us, but I’m happy to say they’re finally coming online now too.”

Stevenson said Canadian sport sciences experts have visited most of the competition venues and that their reports have been positive.

“The facilities are definitely world class,” he said. “With the accommodation now coming together, we can finally start to focus more of our energies on the real business at hand, which is helping our athletes achieve best-ever performances here against some really good international competition.”

Canada is sending a team of 400 athletes, coaches and support staff for the Games.

–Indo-Asian News services

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