Sachin Roby, who was to figure in the Indian men’s 4x400m relay team at the 20th Commonwealth Games has been diagnosed with jaundice and is quite likely to miss the event.
Confirming this, the Indian chef-de-mission , Raj Singh, told a media briefing that the athlete had to be hospitalised before returning to the Games Village on Monday night.
“We have asked the team doctors to make a call on whether he can stand the travel back home, and based on their report, a final decision will be taken,” Mr. Singh said.
Meanwhile, Sachin Chaudhary, who was to represent the country power-lifting’s para-discipline, was forced to return home last night after receiving information that his father had fallen ill.
Chaudhary was entered in the men’s heavyweight category (from 72.1 kg).
The wrestling team of 14 athletes and six officials was expected to reach here on Tuesday night. There has been so far no word about the arrival of some of the athletes, including discus thrower Krishna Poonia, who had won the gold at the New Delhi Games in 2010.
Mr. Singh was critical of the facilities being offered to the athletes at the Games Village.
“There are few hitches regarding food as the number of vegetarian dishes made available to the team is limited. This has raised a few complaints. Likewise, there is only a bathroom or two in each of the apartments, and this has been another area of concern since the team’s arrival.
“The training facilities at the Village are also limited, particularly the gyms which are quite small in size and therefore overcrowded all the time.
“And compared to New Delhi in 2010, there are no swimming pools or an athletics training track at the Village.”
He did have a word of praise for the volunteers (dubbed the Clyde-Sliders), though. “However, the remarkable effort taken by the volunteers to make the life of athletes at the Village comfortable is indeed praiseworthy. They are good at multi-tasking and are always prepared to help the athletes with a smile.”
Mr. Singh also said that the ban on Indian boxing coaches as seconds at the ring during the matches imposed by the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) has been lifted.
“However, the AIBA has said that only coaches recognised by it would only be allowed,” he added.
