Thaindian News

Sydney, Sep 11(ANI): Australia men’s hockey coach Ric Charlesworth has voiced his concerns about the team’s chances at next month’s Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Charlesworth fears that his World Cup and Champions Trophy winning players may have to overcome poor pitches, weak refereeing and a sub-standard athletes village, if they are to prevail.

“We have played in Delhi earlier in the year, but it is hotter now than it was then and we will be playing in the middle of the day,” Xinhua news agency quoted Charlesworth, as saying.

“We play England in a hit-out a day after we arrive and that will allow us to stretch our legs and give us a chance to have a look at the pitch, and see if it has improved since six months ago.”

“It was bumpy and quite new and very hard to play on, but we will have to make do,” he added.

With reports that New Delhi’s Games village is still to be completed, Charlesworth also said that he was nervous about what he may find.

“Who knows what the accommodation will be like when we head over there. I am very worried about it. We don’t know yet (what it is like), no-one has really told us, but I doubt if it will be finished,” Charlesworth said.

“Does the air conditioning work? Do the lifts work? Is there flyscreens on the windows? There is dengue fever in India. I am not so sanguine about how it will go, but it is up to the players to deal with all of those things,” he added. (ANI)