Australia on Friday rejected accusations that its athletes had caused damage to property in the athlete’s village at the Commonwealth Games.
Earlier Indian media reported that the athletes destroyed furniture, electrical fittings and threw a washing machine from the eighth floor.
The reports said the athletes were angry that the Australian cricket team lost the test series to India earlier on in the week.
The Australian High Commission in New Delhi admitted that a washing machine was damaged during “spirited celebrations” but said reports of athletes vandalizing the Games’ property were factually wrong.
The Australians also shouted slogans against batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who played a pivotal role in ensuring India’s victory, it said.
“There were indeed some spirited celebrations involving the Australian team and a number of other teams at the athletes’ village,” the Australian mission said in the statement.
“We can confirm that in the course of those celebrations a washing machine was damaged, though it remains unclear who did the damage, what their nationality was, and whether it was deliberate or accidental,” the statement said.
“The suggestion that this was a reaction to Australia’s loss in the second Test is completely baseless. The Australian team’s celebration had nothing to do with cricket, or India, or Sachin Tendulkar”, it added.
Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said they had not received any complaint from the games organizing committee and no case had been registered.
Meanwhile, Indian news channels, citing sources, said there was some unruly behaviour by the athletes in the common dining area, but there was no argument or scuffle.
Amid the allegations, an Australian athlete was sent home for disciplinary reasons, the reports said.
Australia topped the medal table at theOctober 3-14 Commonwealth Games, winning 74 gold medals. Host nation India secured the second place winning 38 golds, while England at 37 golds took the third place.
