Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Chairman Mr Suresh Kalmadi, MP, said on Thursday the 7000 athletes and team officials will come to the Indian capital for next month’s Commonwealth Games as friends and go back as family. “They will enjoy themselves during their stay in Delhi,” he said. 

Speaking to the media after the soft opening of the Games Village – with all-faith prayers in the presence of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Mr Tejendra Khanna – Mr Kalmadi said the quality of training facilities at the Village were not available at any of the previous Games. “This is one of the best Games Villages anyone will have seen,” he said. 

“All facilities in the Village are top class and I am sure the athletes are going to love it. The training areas, swimming pool, athletics track, weightlifting and wrestling areas and the gymnasium are simply wonderful. Generally, such facilities are not available in a Games Village in such a scale,” he said. 

Mr Kalmadi walked with a large media contingent to the various parts of the Games Village. “The whole village is ready. The Residential Zone, including the kitchen and the dining hall, the International Zone, training centres and the transport mall are all in place. The Village will open on 23 September,” he said.

Addressing security concerns during the celebrations of sport from 3 to 14 October, he said Delhi Police has done a great job. “We just had a security meeting and all issues have been sorted out. Some of the top Delhi Police officials have experiences of running security during the Games as they have been to Olympics and Commonwealth Games. I am very happy with the arrangement.”