Manipur, Feb 13: The sprawling Games Village at Langol, on the outskirts of the city, with 800 houses spread over five square kilometres, has come to life as almost half the athletes and officials checked in amid chaos.The edge of the Imphal Valley has turned into a mini India as athletes from all parts of the country have congregated here. Some more participants are expected later tonight as the special trains carrying them are running late.Some of the delegation leaders were worried over the non-arrival of the entire contingent before the opening ceremony.``I am expecting the third contingent later tonight but they will be too tired for the opening ceremony. The fourth contingent will surely miss the ceremony,'' said Punjab's Chef-de-Mission, P S Virk.CHAOTIC SCENES: The biggest problem was the lack of accreditation. Chaos reigned over the issuance of these cards. The athletes were running from pillar to post for their accreditation.Virk openly admitted the lack of amenities in theVillage adding that it may result in the players missing valuable practice time. Virk, also the secretary of the Gymnastics Federation of India, was annoyed about the non-completion of the gymnastics facilities in the SAI indoor hall.Since the equipment was still to arrive, the gymnastics will commence on February 20 instead of February 15, he said.PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE: West Bengal basketball team had a providential escape when the bus in which they were travelling hit a hillside following a break failure near Maram in Senapati district, about 100 km from here. Nine members of the team, including five women, sustained injuries as the ill-fated bus hit the hill avoiding a fall.BUSY VILLAGE: Meanwhile, three dining halls were set up in the Village to take care of 10,000 people at a time. The Village was like a new town facing the many wants of the population. By noon, the nearly three kilometre-long stretch of the two-way path that divides the housing complex into distinct halves was atits busiest. A steady stream of athletes poured in while a fleet of vehicles buzzed in and out.
