Kalmadi blames the rains

After sending OC secretary general Lalit Bhanot and Games Mayor Maj Dalbeer Singh (retd) to face the volley of questions for most of the week,Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Thursday finally decided to defend his organisation and blamed the rain for making the Games Village “unliveable”.

“The training facilities,athletes dining hall and international zone are all world class. The residential zone,especially some of the newer buildings,has had some problems because of the copious rain that Delhi received this season. But we are making good progress,” Kalmadi said before leaving for the airport to receive Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell. The CGF president is due to visit the Games Village on Friday morning.

Kalmadi also claimed that no athletes or teams are pulling out. “We believe there will be no serious complaints anymore. And we believe that no teams will pull out of the Games,” he said. “I am happy to note that we have already completed delegation registration meetings with 21 teams. More will be completed in the coming days. I have met the Chefs de Missions and Team Managers from these teams.”

“I spent time at the Village this morning and am happy with the progress made by my team,with the support of government agencies,in bringing up all 32 towers in the residential zone to standards that would be acceptable to all our honoured visitors,” he said,adding that the first overseas teams are expected on Friday.