Condom-plugged toilets, empty seats at Commonwealth By BOB MACKIN, QMI Agency Last Updated: October 7, 2010 4:24am NEW DELHI - Several swimmers from Australia and England have come down with illnesses that may be related to the quality of water in the Commonwealth Games' warmup pool. "We must find out this immediately," said Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell during a Thursday news conference. "If there is something unsafe, you can't swim in that water." Swimming Canada spokesman Martin Richard reported no major illnesses. Mission, B.C.'s Brent Hayden joked after Wednesday's 4 x 200 metre relay that some members have experienced "Delhi belly." Hayden is hoping to win a medal in Thursday night's 100 m freestyle. Meanwhile, three members of the Ugandan delegation returning to the athletes' village were rushed to hospital late Tuesday when a spike belt embedded in the ground suddenly rose and struck their vehicle. Authorities are claiming it was an accident. The trio included chef de mission William Tumwine. Fennell repeatedly told the news conference that the victims were Pakistani, until he was politely corrected by a member of the Delhi 2010 organizing committee. Delhi 2010 chairman Suresh Kahmadi said 125,000 tickets were sold Wednesday, driven by the host nation's 11 gold medals. He was unable to explain, however, the thousands of empty seats at venues. Australian wrestler Hassene Fkiri's Tuesday-won silver medal was revoked as punishment for showing his middle-finger to winner Anil Kumar of India. New Zealand TV host Paul Henry was suspended by TVNZ for turning Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit's surname into a slur. More problems at the athletes' village, where construction and sanitation threatened to derail the Games. This time it's condom-plugged toilets. The Mail Today tabloid's Thursday front page headline screamed "It's a rubbery problem at the CWG village." "I hope they clean the toilets," Fennell said. "If that is happening, it shows there is use of condoms and that is a very positive story." http://www.torontosun.com/spor...

_____ · Oct 7, 2010 8:32 AM

Commonwealth Games 2010: Tom Daley unfazed by reports of 'Delhi belly' Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell confirms an investigation into the stomach bug outbreak Link to this video Tom Daley touched down in Delhi yesterday, insisting in his welcome press conference that he had no worries about the stomach sickness that has affected so many athletes at the Commonwealth Games. "Around 8% of England's entire team of 541 competitors have suffered from some form of gastro problem," confirmed the chef de mission Craig Hunter, "most of them lasted only 24 hours." One English athlete, who Hunter refused to name, was taken to hospital for further tests, but is now said to be recovering well. "Obviously I have read all the stories in the newspapers," said Daley, "but once we got here everything was great. My impression is that everything is clean, the food is great and the security is tight, I think it has been great so far." Daley has only been in the Games Village 24 hours. Rebecca Adlington was similarly optimistic when she was settling into her accommodation, but last night she tweeted "Now Delhi belly please go away!" and "Hoping I feel better tomorrow though, not flash at the min!" Adlington's team-mate Fran Halsall was so badly affected that she has been on a bread and water diet while trying to compete in four different events. Adlington will be hoping that her performance in the 800m freestyle today is not ruined by her illness, which is what happened to Halsall in the 100m freestyle. "In the last 24-48 hours there have been more swimmers coming down with it," confirmed Hunter. The Australian team have been particularly badly affected, suffering three cases of full gastroenteritis. Two of the Australian team, Andrew Lauterstein and Hayden Stoeckel have had to withdraw from the competition altogether because of severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Serious concerns were raised that it was the water in the either the main or the practice pool that was the cause of the illness. Today both the English and Australian team wrote to the Games' organising committee requesting clarification over the quality of the water quality. Hunter said that tests had been conducted this morning and assurances given. Things only got worse at the Aquatic complex when the athletes' toilets blocked up and overflowed. The English hockey team have also been suffering. Hunter suggested that this was because "they are constantly taking their gumshield and it could be something airborne that gets onto their hand". He denied that it was the food in the athletes' village that was to blame, though several of the Australians said that they had only got sick after eating spaghetti bolognese in the village canteen. Asked what the source of the illness was, Hunter only said that "analysis was ongoing". "I just think everyone has to be careful with their hand gels making sure everything is clean and that they wash their hands a lot," said Daley, "that's just a precaution you have to take in any foreign country." Hunter, and the Games organisers, will be hoping that Daley is right, because if the problem is eventually traced to either the water in the pool or the food in the village, the Games will have a far more serious problem than anything a little extra soap can fix. Last edited: 07-Oct-10 01:46 PM

_____ · Oct 7, 2010 1:23 PM

CWG: Kalmadi in 'Princess Diana at ceremony' blunder The blundering chairman of the organising committee made the faux pas in a press conference to update reporters on the troubled Games' progress. "Yes, Princess Diana was there," he said before correcting himself. "Prince Charles and (Camilla) the Duchess of Cornwall. Now they have gone off and they appreciated all the efforts made here." Kalmadi has been the face of the Games but was booed at the opening ceremony after a shambolic build-up.

_____ · Oct 7, 2010 1:48 PM

Swimmers fall ill at Commonwealth Games in India http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/201...

Rewire · Oct 7, 2010 1:51 PM

han han han dhoti lai han...........han han

dhhirajojha · Oct 7, 2010 5:19 PM