Commonwealth Games - 'Safety and hygiene must be adequate'

IT IS fairly common ahead of major sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup for worries to emerge that the host nation and its venues won't be ready in time.

Such fears were aired ahead of this year's football extravaganza in South Africa and are already being voiced two years before the Ukraine is supposed to co-host Euro 2012 with Poland.

Expect similar doubts even when modern cities London and Glasgow ready themselves for the Olympics in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

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And let's not forget the troubles faced by Edinburgh in 1986 which took the smaller Games into bed with Robert Maxwell.

But the problems afflicting Delhi less than two weeks before the opening of the Commonwealth Games are of an entirely different scale altogether.

Advance parties have found work continuing on basic parts of the infrastructure the Indian city promised would be in place when in 2003 their bid beat the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario, to the right to host the games.

The accommodation being laid on for athletes never looked like being particularly luxurious, but those who landed this week reported filth and wild dogs roaming the rooms.

Scots, New Zealanders and others demanded to be moved. Members of our own team are among many whose departure to Delhi has been delayed while standards are raised.

The collapse of a pedestrian footbridge being built to the main stadium, injuring 23, was more worrying still.

Today we highlight some of the Lothian athletes due to compete, and their hopes and fears for the Games. Their team managers especially are confident that it will all come out all right.

But they must only take part if the Indian organisers can guarantee safety and hygiene standards.

Taxing complaint

A FEW choice words may be had next time there's a neighbourly gathering in the East Craigs street we report on today.

The resident who complained of too high a council tax compared with other residents may now be regretting opening his or her mouth. And even if they don't wish they'd kept quiet - after their own bills were put up, you can be sure his or her neighbours do.