New Zealand PM sees “no point” in sending athletes to CWG

Wellington : A day after he voiced his support for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, upset with the adverse reports of the unhealthy conditions at the Games Village, said there was “no point” in sending the athletes if they faced health and sanitation issues in the village.

“There’s no point in sending them to Delhi if they end up feeling like I currently feel at the moment. We need to make sure they are fit and healthy and can compete well,” he said.

Key?s comments came after New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie, who is in New Delhi ahead of his team’s arrival, said large sections of the village were still not ready with the clock ticking to its official opening on Thursday.

“The way things are looking, it’s not up to scratch,” Currie told New Zealand commercial radio.

“The reality is that if the village is not ready and athletes can’t come, the implications are that it’s not going to happen,” Currie said.

Currie said his athletes had been allocated new accommodation within the village after inspections found their original tower block was unacceptable due to uncleanliness and poor facilities.

Currie said the security team could not complete its assessment until after the village had been handed over to the Games organising committee on Thursday.

The New Zealand team of almost 200 athletes is scheduled to begin arriving in India from Saturday.

In a statement, the NZOC said it was also “disappointed with progress in the residential area of the Delhi Commonwealth Games village”.