Commonwealth Games: Indian boss slams acccomodation

The athlete's village. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Speaking in the Indian media, chef de mission Raj Singh said when Delhi hosted the Games in 2010, it came under fire for facilities in the athletes village, but he claimed they had been measurably superior to Glasgow’s.

He also criticised Glasgow’s shared bathrooms, paucity of televisions in the accommodation and lack of variety in meals, saying the Indian team was “not getting the variety of food which suited us”.

He said: “We were at the receiving end when we hosted the Games in 2010. But what we are getting at the athletes village in Glasgow is much below par compared to what India had given in 2010.

“Looking back in four years, I feel India had provided great facilities to the participating  athletes.”

Mr Singh said a lack of facilities was “not much of a problem” and they were managing, but he insisted the village “cannot be compared to what was offered in Delhi”.

In 2010, there were serious concerns about hygiene and safety in the accommodation, as dirty bathrooms and flooding in the blocks raised fears about dengue fever.

Mike Hooper, Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive, praised Glasgow’s facilities yesterday, describing Mr Singh’s comparisons as “inappropriate”.

He said: “From the federation’s perspective, we’re very pleased with the village here in Glasgow.

“They’ve done a fantastic job and they’re accommodating all the teams in a positive way.

“I’ve certainly not received any direct complaints. I’ve seen those comments by the Indian management and I think they’re inappropriate to get into comparatives.”

He added that Glasgow’s training facilities were “certainly appropriate” for all the teams.