Home nations welcome improvements

Nehru Stadium
12 April 2012

Home Nations athletes appeared to be putting concerns over their accommodation in the Games Village firmly behind them on Wednesday to focus on preparations for the Commonwealth Games which open in Delhi on Sunday.

The build-up of athletes from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is gathering pace and those who have already arrived seem satisfied with the village facilities.

Commonwealth Games England chief press officer Caroline Searle said: "We are absolutely happy with the rooms and apartments that we already have athletes in. We are working on a day-by-day basis with Indian staff to get rooms ready for the next wave of athletes coming in."

Games organisers, responding to complaints that rooms in some of the accommodation blocks were dirty, have had up to 4,000 people working around the clock to get the accommodation ready as competitors from across the world arrive in Delhi.

On Wednesday morning there were 128 English athletes and officials in the Games Village from an overall team of 560. By Thursday it will climb to more than 300 as badminton, netball, squad , wrestling, swimming, cycling, shooting, table tennis and tennis competitors and officials arrive in Delhi.

The accommodation initially allocated to Team Scotland athletes was branded unfit for human habitation. But Team Scotland head of media Katriona Bush said accommodation for the Scottish athletes was up to an "acceptable standard" and athletes were now able to concentrate on their preparations.

"People are settled and happy. Our athletes have started training and getting focused on their events," she said. "However we are still concerned that facilities are up to standard in all the accommodation blocks. We are joining forces with other nations in an effort to ensure that it (accommodation) is the same for everyone."

Team Wales press officer Jane Williams had no qualms about the accommodation and facilities in the Games Village.

"The conditions are brilliant in our accommodation, the food hall is fantastic and the athletes are already into their training," she said.

The number of Northern Ireland team athletes already in the village had risen to 66 athletes out of a total team of 80 with a further 15 due to arrive on Friday, including Wendy Houvenaghel and Madeline Perry from the cycling and squash teams respectively. Northern Ireland team press officer Clare McCoy said the athletes' accommodation was "fine".

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