Delhi woes exhaust Team Canada head

The fortnight of intense labour to ensure the Commonwealth Games would take place has left Canada’s chef de mission feeling like she has completed the event already.

Martha Deacon told Reuters on Saturday that the number of calls to organisers over the past 10 days and reassurances to worried parents of Canada’s athletes had left her feeling drained.

“Yes,” Deacon said when asked if she felt liked she had completed the event already.

“You get that comment as people get tired and they’ll say ‘I feel like the games are over’“

The opening ceremony for the 12-day Games, which features 71 mostly former British colonies, will be on Sunday and organisers hope it will bring an end to all the talk of a crisis surrounding the event.

After the collapse of a bridge near the main stadium, an outbreak of the dengue fever and question marks about the cleanliness of the athletes accommodation, there were serious concerns that the Games in India would have to be moved or cancelled.

These fears have led to a number of athletes withdrawing but Deacon said she was proud that no Canadian athlete had quit over safety or security issues, which she said was down to excellent communication with all of Canada’s 260-strong athletes.

“I am very pleased by it (no withdrawals),” she said.

“When things were a challenge in the village I was on the phone to Delhi by the hour. (We) met with every sport every day and met via a teleconference so I think it was the communication.

“The communication and the updates kept (up the morale of) the athletes, (who) were incredible. (It allowed) the athletes to train and (stay) at their peak and trust that things were being looked after.”

Deacon said that after all the turbulent events of the past few weeks, she was simply looking forward to the magical opening day of competition.

“The focus does become more and more on sport and that is truly what we are here for.

“All of the speculation, all of the talk, all of the wonderment, all of the predictions ... it become the athletes just coming in and doing their thing and that is wonderful.”