In what would come as music to the ears of an embattled Organising Committee, Australia is planning to send its largest—ever delegation of over 600 athletes and officials, including Olympic and world champions, for next year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
“Australia is planning to send a full team of over 600 athletes, coaches, managers, medicos and officials. The team will be the largest ever to compete in an overseas Commonwealth Games campaign with the first round of team nominations including the provisional selection of eight track and field athletes, including world champions Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels,” Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) said in a statement.
Pole vaulter Hooker is a gold medallist from the Beijing Olympics where he set an Olympic record of 6.06m. Samuels is the youngest ever female discus thrower to become a world champion.
ACGA CEO Perry Crosswhite, said not a single athlete has raised any security concerns about travelling to India.
“To date the questions have been about the weather predictions and the sports venues, and, of course, what the food and the village are going to be like,” he said.
