With the Commonwealth Games just nine days away, the priority sadly continued to hover around the lack of readiness of the residential towers of the Village, and not on the performers or the facilities at the venues.
In the last 24 hours, the increased workforce employed inside the Village has been able to make a noticeable difference. The much-questioned cleanliness of the Village has been seriously addressed and the feedback from some of the residents reflects the change for better.
“We moved in here last evening and did not find anything as abysmal as we had read and seen in the media,” said former National table tennis champion Soumyadeep Roy.
“The (five-room) unit allotted to us is pretty spacious and each room (to be shared by two members) has an attached bathroom.
‘Clearly a luxury'
“We also have a big living-cum-dining room, a television, a refrigerator plus Wi-fi connection in each unit. This is clearly a luxury,” said Soumyadeep, admiring the facilities provided in the Village.
“Usually, during such multi-discipline Games, up to three members are made to share a room, with or without an attached bathroom. I am quite pleased with whatever little that I've seen so far,” said Roy, who has been to quite a few Games in the past.
National table tennis coach Bhawani Mukherjee, too, felt that the facilities were good. He said, “Since we moved in, the transport from the Village to the venues has also started.
“These are still early days and I'm sure it will get better in the coming days. I think, overall, the facilities are quite good here. The dining hall has a fantastic ambience and the food served offers the variety of the world,” he added.
A member of the Indian contingent, speaking on condition of anonymity, viewed it differently. He pointed out, “Our tower is about 90-95 per cent ready. The finishing job is still to be done.
‘Could have been better'
“It hits the eye. Polishing of surfaces is yet to be done. I guess, still about a month's work is left. The standard of cleanliness could have certainly been better. Due to the lack of finishing ‘touch', the Village is not getting the kind of appreciation which it would have otherwise deserved.”
An Indian official said, “What the village lacks is the installation of road maps at strategic points. We have to look for volunteers to find our way.
“In fact, even the volunteers are new to the Village so we don't expect them to know all the directions. I guess things will be more organised as we get closer to the Games.”
Some members of New Zealand's advance team that moved into the Village this week, expressed their disappointment. “We left our country believing that the Village was “world class,” as often described by one member of the Organising Committee.
“Perhaps, we read too much into those statements and expected too much. I guess, that's why, we are a trifle disappointed.”
The brighter side
On the brighter side, the Kiwis were thrilled to see the setup for table tennis at the Yamuna Sports Complex. “The facilities here are really good. The arena looks fabulous and we are looking forward to some great results,” said one member pointing to the “show-court” section of the table tennis venue.
Meanwhile, the security at the Village appears firmly in place. The sanitized buses, with escorts, are checked at a number of points beginning from the main gate of the Village.
Thereafter, the identity of the participants / officials is checked before he or she is allowed to board the bus. The bus is then checked at, at least two more points, before it leaves for the venues.
“It can get a bit intimidating but we understand that it is necessary,” said another Indian official seeking anonymity. “At least, there are people who are doing their job earnestly.”
