Team must go for CWG: New Zealand sporting greats
September 19th, 2010 - 9:34 pm ICT by IANSWellington, Sep 19 (IANS) New Zealand’s sporting greats Sunday exhorted the country’s athletes to particiapte in the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games and shared their experiences of the warm hospitality they received in New Delhi.
The former athletes comprising runners John Walker and Dick Quax, swimmers Helen Norfolk and Danyon Loader, cyclist Gary Anderson, badminton player Phil Horne and hockey players Suzie Muirhead and Anna Lawrence said they would not have second thoughts of traveling to Delhi if they were still competing.
Walker, a gold medallist in the 1500m at the 1976 Montreal Olympics recalled the days when he visited India’ capital city and said it would be disappointing if New Zealand pull out.
“I would go. I have been to Delhi and raced former 800m Olympic champion Steve Ovett in front of 65,000 people in 40 degrees, just before the 1990 Commonwealth Games,” Walker was quoted as saying by the New Zealand Herald Sunday.
“The hospitality was superb. The people are passionate. It was unbelievable. I would be disappointed if New Zealand pulled out. There are always going to be lunatics wherever you go in the world. It is one of the risks. You can’t rule out any nutter wanting to make a statement,” Walker added.
Olympic bronze medallist Anderson said “back in my 20s, I wouldn not have had many questions. I would have been raring to go”.
Runner Quax, a silver medallist at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games said if would not have even thought of missing a mega event like the Commonwealth Games.
“If I was a young athlete and had not been to one of those events before, I would not even consider missing it,” said Quax.
Athletes are due to start moving into the Games’ Village by Sep 23.
New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie is currently in Delhi to check the facilities and the security situation of the Village. Based on Currie’s report the New Zealand Olympic Committe (NZOC) would decide whether to go ahead with the trip or not.
–Indo–Asian News Service
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