Sept. 30: Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and bronze medallist Vijender are among 464 Indian athletes who have checked into the Commonwealth Games Village, chef-de-mission Bhubneshwar Kalita said on Thursday. Shooter Samresh Jung, the best athlete of the 2006 Melbourne Games, boxer Akhil Kumar, squash star Joshna Chinnappa and ace archers Dola Banerjee and Jayanta Talukdar were among those to check into the Village.
Kalita said the athlete felt the arrangements at the Village are the best and their stay comfortable. Indian contingent has 640 beds in three towers. Each room is twin sharing and the rooms are airconditioned with attached bathrooms, washing machines and refrigerators.
Kalita said they have extended the arrival date of athletes till October 8. “Depending upon the schedules of different disciplines, we have extended the entry date,” he said. The Village is spread over an area of 63.5 hectares and has a total of 34 residential towers. It has 1,168 apartments with 4,008 bedrooms.
Kalita hoped India would do far better than they did at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. “During the last Commonwealth Games, India was fourth in the standing, but this time we want to get to the second spot. We’ll at least be third,” Kalita added.