Ramu doesn’t need accreditation and can pass through any area in the Games Village without being frisked, even though many VIPs don’t have this privilege. For, Ramu is on a mission.
It is one of the many big langurs deployed at Games venues to scare away monkeys who could otherwise create trouble. And Ramu has become the talk of the town with athletes and delegates, who never miss an opportunity to click his pictures.
Many policemen deployed at security checkpoints in the Village have been enquiring for the simian’s accreditation card. “Does it (langur) have a photo identity card and is he being frisked?” asked a security personnel at the checkpoint.
But Ramu’s owner Ramesh is quick to reply: “He is on CWG duty and doesn’t need any accreditation.”
Cycling to empty stands
Champion cyclist Anna Meares won gold and broke her own Commonwealth Games record at the Cycling Velodrome. It all happened in front of near empty stands, but the champion rider said she was used to it.
“Even in the Sydney World Cup and Beijing Olympics where I won medals, there were hardly 20-30 people to watch,” she said as a matter of fact at the Indira Gandhi Stadium.
“But I hope more people will come along here. It is a beautiful stadium and the atmosphere would be great if there were more people around,” she said.
