Flies and sparse crowds at JN stadium on Day 3

Wed, Oct 06 10 10:06 PM

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Spectators were again missing at the the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, which managed to get ready just in time to host events after the spectacular opening ceremony on October 3. The refurbished stadium was only half full in a day that played host to five disciplines, two of them medal winning events. While the athletes in 100m and 200m sprint seemed pleased with the track, they were troubled by the flies and insects on the track. Journalists and foreign delegates were seen liberally applying insect repelling creams and sprays they had managed to bring inside. The security personnal had once again collected a lot of coins, water bottles and other sundry prohibited items from "Next time do not bring such things," a foreign media scribe was let off with a warning on being found to have carrying a small cosmetic lotion. "The track is good, but I have had to fend off many flies," said an athlete after the 100m women''s heat. A Nigerian athlete, who clocked a win in 100m women''s event said, "The event has been good so far , the track is good." A middle-aged executive had taken a day off to bring his children and friends to view the track events. "I brought them so that they can see live what they usually see on TV," said the executive. "We are going to see the Games and running events," said Laksh Vasan who is a standard five student. With schools being off during the Games parents seemed to be tugging along their children. A lone wheelchair-bound spectator, who was lost finding the directions to the stadium, said, "I am the first wheelchair person who has come to see the events, I was told at the tickets counter. I had made inquiries and found out that they have all the facilities for disabled people but the organization is a mess." "What is going to happen when busloads of such people happen to come," he said. Australian Emily Nolan, who flew in on Tuesday evening with her partner hammer thrower Tim Driesen, said she was not bothered with the extra security ring around Delhi. "There were a lot of security concerns in the press back home, but I feel safe and I rather have more security than less." PTI ANS AH

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