Pleasant weather attract players to international area

Thu, Oct 07 10 09:51 PM

New Delhi, Oct 7 (PTI) Athletes, boosted by the pleasant weather, today swarmed the international area inside the Commonwealth Games Village here on the fifth day of the ongoing mega event. Around 60-70 odd athletes were practicing at the training ground unlike other days when only a few athletes brave the hot weather and come out to train. "The sun is pleasant. It is good to practice and probably I will spend some more time exercising," said Jacques, an athlete from the Isle of Man. Players and team officials staying in the Village visited the international zone, an especially earmarked area that houses recreational facilities like cafes, merchandise stores, bars, restaurants, discotheques and games parlours, while many others went out for sightseeing. "It''s good. The sun is not harsh. I am going to buy something from the handicraft showroom here," said Catherine, a CGF official from Seychelles. The athletes also seen interacting with players from other nations. The area around amphitheater here, which usually remains deserted during the daytime witnessed a number of footfalls. The Games Village residents were in a relative relaxed mood as they were taking a stroll around the open space and pavements inside the international zone, The gate no 2 of the village, which acts as a temporary work area for the electronic media saw a number of athletes giving interviews while the media centre was abuzz with the activities as journalists were busy filing stories. The cops were seen in action and sniffers were checking every nook and corner of the Village in search of suspicious objects and to keep any untoward incident at bay. Over one lakh security personnel, including central paramilitary forces and specialised commandos have been deployed at all the competition and training venues to ensure adequate security for the Games. The 12-day long event featuring 17 sport disciplines like archery, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, boxing and shooting will conclude on October 14. Nearly 7,000 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations are participating in the event being hosted by India for the first time.

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