Sept. 23: Delhi authorities have made progress in fixing problems in the Commonwealth Games village and the event is expected to go ahead, the chief executive of the Games federation said on Thursday.
“There has been progress and there is more to do,” Mike Hooper said in a telephone interview, adding that there had been a “significant additional resource deployment. We’re concentrating on fixing the problems. My attitude is that the Games are on. We are working at the highest levels of government,” said the number two from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
A different source in the CGF said that the mood was much better among delegations following a meeting in the morning between officials and the Delhi government. “The teams have been buoyed by the action they’ve seen. There has certainly been action over the last few days.” Many teams have delayed sending their athletes because of problems in the unfinished athletes’ village, which was described as “seriously compromised” and “filthy” by the CGF. The event, meant to be a showcase of India’s emerging power, has been beset by series of controversies.