“The team of 66 athletes arrived so far have settled in well along with their coaches and management. They are enjoying village life and were able to train at their competition venues today. They are getting used to everything that goes with a multi-sport Games such as transport, climate and venues. We look forward to welcoming the other fifteen athletes arriving on Friday,” said Chef de Mission Robert McVeigh.
Among those traveling tomorrow are the athletes, currently in Portugal at a warm weather holding camp, Olympic cycling silver medalist Wendy Houvenaghel and fellow cyclists and SINI athletes Heather Wilson and David McCann and medal hope in squash Madeline Perry.
“The facilities are excellent. Athletes are settling in and making themselves familiar with the area, which comprises of the Residential Zone, the International Zone, the Training Area, the Main Dining, and the Operational Zone. There is an eight-lane 400-metre synthetic athletics track and throw field, wrestling and weightlifting training halls with soundproof walls.”
There have been a couple of last minute changes to the team.
In cycling Sean Downey of Banbridge replaces SINI athlete Connor McConvey who withdrew two weeks ago with severe fatigue. Downey (20) from Banbridge rides for the prestigious 'VC La Ponne' club in Marseille and spent one year at the World cycling centre in Switzerland. He was top ten in the European Junior championships and a winner at the U23 National Road Race Championships and will be looking forward to his first Commonwealth Games.
Athletics NI have withdrawn Stephen Scullion (1500m/5000m) from the team on medical advice.
The majority of Team Scotland athletes are already in their Games Village accommodation and there are now over 200 of the England team on site with the arrival of badminton, netball, squash and wrestling athletes and officials.
Later today it will climb to over 300 as swimming, cycling, shooting, table tennis and tennis competitors and officials arrive in Delhi.
A further 42 members of Team Scotland from lawn bowls, boxing, wrestling and Rugby sevens arrived at the Games Village yesterday. That took the number of athletes already in Games Village accommodation to 161 out of an overall team of 191.
The group of 42 had originally been due to arrive last Thursday but were Team Wales today welcomed new athlete arrivals at the Games Village for wrestling, shooting and tennis, taking the current total to 112 athletes and officials out of a team of 170.
The Games opening ceremony is on Sunday and the action gets under way next Monday, ending on October 14.
