Games Village draws mixed reactions from athletes

Wed, Sep 29 10 10:21 PM

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Though the controversy-marred Commonwealth Games Village seems to have fixed most of its problems, with the majority of athletes and delegates praising the arrangements here, a few disgruntled voices could still be heard around the facility today. Joseph Parker, an athlete from New Zealand, is satisfied with overall facilities, but is unhappy with accommodation. "The work is not yet finished. There are a few things yet to be done. Some toilets are leaking and the drainage is also not very good," he said. "After the shower, the whole bathroom was flooded as there was no proper drainage. We had to put our towels to soak the water," added the New Zealander. The Kiwi, during his earlier visit to the Indian Capital in March, had stayed at a five-star hotel, and asked to compare the star hotel with the Village, he said, "I would say the room was better at the hotel, but food is quite good here at the Village." Two athletes from Barbados, who arrived earlier today, seemed a bit unhappy after they saw their room. They termed their flat "a little dusty" and not properly cleaned. "It''s okay but the flats are a little dusty," Daniel Thorpe, a badminton player from Barbados, said reluctantly when asked about the accommodation and other facilities at the Village. Asked to explain the problems, another member of the Barbados team volunteered. "The kitchen is not fully ready yet. Even the bathrooms don''t have all the proper fittings in place," said athlete Nicholas Reifer. The two players, however, said they haven''t yet registered their complaints, but would probably do so if things do not get sorted out. "We would complain if things do not get better," said Reifer. A badminton player from Wales, Caroline Harvey, however, instead of looking for loopholes, opted to focus on the positives at the Village. "We did face a little trouble when it blacked out for an hour yesterday night but I guess that was alright," said Harvey. "Overall, I''m having a nice time here. The food is excellent, especially the Indian curry that was exactly to my taste. Even the accommodation is good," added the 22-year-old. Sanja Elena Coetzee, a member of the South African team, claimed that she was apprehensive about coming to India after all the negative reports, but was pleasantly surprised by what she saw on entering the Village. "I''m not facing any problems. The flats are in place and so is everything else. Best thing is there is an internet cafe at the International Zone. And I''m happy to be in constant touch with my family and friends," said Coetzee.

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