Posted by: _____ September 26, 2010
Knockout before Games: Boxer's bed collapses
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NEW DELHI: Hardly had he entered the Village that boxer Akhil Kumar
was knocked off his feet by a nasty jab, if only a figurative one. His
bed collapsed just as soon as he sat down on it on Saturday.


"We reached the Olympic Bhavan late in the afternoon to collect our
accreditation cards. But when I sat down on my bed to take rest, it
collapsed," the star boxer told TOI. "I checked the bed and part of it
had no plywood on it. It was disappointing after enduring a long
journey. The athletes are at least entitled to a decent place to rest.
Even the toilets are not very clean. I have told coach Gurbax Singh
Sandhu about this". Kumar will compete in the 56kg category at the Commonwealth Games.


The 10-member Indian boxing team, comprising among others Olympic and
World Championship bronze medallist Vijender Singh, began their journey
to Delhi
from NIS Patiala at eight in the morning on Saturday. They were kept
waiting nearly four hours at the Olympic Bhavan in the Capital for a bus
to the Games Village. "I don't know why they kept us waiting for so long. It was a tiring journey from Patiala to Delhi and then this," said Dinesh Kumar (81 kg).


The ordeal didn't end there. When Dinesh Kumar (81 kg) entered his
room, he found paan stains on the floor. The horror story continued for
them.

The Indian boxing contingent walked into filthy rooms
inside the Village on Saturday evening after having been made to wait
for a bus for four hours. "I don't know why they kept us waiting for so
long. It was a tiring journey from Patiala to Delhi and then this," said
Dinesh Kumar.

He added,"There were paan stains in some corners
of the room. The bathroom was filthy. Some of the fittings weren't
working. The bed was dirty. After looking at the condition of the room,
we went down to the auditorium to complain to officials. They then sent
workers up with buckets and broomstick to clean the rooms. This is so
annoying I can't describe it. We were dying to stretch our backs and hit
the bed but it was too dirty. So we were made to stand again for a few
more hours before the clean-up," said a sleepy Dinesh.

Accompanied by coach Sandhu and Cuban coach BI Fernandes, the team came here after months of training in Patiala.
The boxers joined the Indian weightlifting, hockey and netball contingents who also arrived at the Village on Saturday.
The Village has been severely criticised by many international delegates for being 'unlivable'.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cwgarticleshow/6627570.cms
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