Australian contingent head confident of grand Commonwealth Games

After having expressed concerns about security and shabby living conditions in the Commonwealth Games village, favourites Australia today gave a big thumbs up to the hosts and said India are well prepared to hold a great event.

"India is ready to hold the Games. Today's opening ceremony will be held at a magnificent stadium. It will be watched by 80,000 people inside it. Those who are not part of it will be missing it," said Australian contingent's chef de mission Steve Moneghetti.

"It is about the athletes today. Despite all those infrastructure and all those concerns, today is the day for celebrations.

"Today is the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Delhi. It is happening. It is exciting. There is a great buzz around in the village and in preparation for the spectacular night. It's such a significant moment in Indian sport. It is an incredible moment. We are getting caught up in that," the Australian official said.

Moneghetti said after enjoying the experience, the athletes would quickly plunge into action from tomorrow.

"Tonight is about enjoying the experience and then realising that the Games are open. Once the Games are officially open, athletes then will quickly go over to the competition," he said.

Australia, who have consistently dominated these Games held from 1930, have come with a well-prepared contingent, he said when asked about the withdrawals from some top athletes due to security, health, fitness and other concerns.

"We have come with a very strong team and would do very well. We have come with the largest squad for any Commonwealth Games held outside of Australia," he said.

Moneghetti did not want to predict the number of medals the kangaroo country will win from the 19th edition of the Games in which 71 nations are competing.

"I have read about 200-plus medals. The figure looks good and I'm a maths teacher," he said.

Australia, as the host nation, grabbed 84 gold, 69 silver and 68 bronze medals at the Melbourne Games four years ago to finish way ahead of the rest, including England, who finished second with 36-40-37.

Moneghetti said roughly only half the Australian Games contingent would take part in the Games opening, not because of any reason other than recommendations from the team officials.

"At the moment we have got 254 people marching which is a pretty good number. It includes officials too. We have 17 people who are not marching.

"The people who are not marching ... it is mostly about recommendations from their particular teams. Obviously the swimmers who are competing on the first three days are recommended that they don't march".

He also explained that some other teams who were threatening not to take part in the trooping in wanted to leave the stadium once their part in the opening ceremony was over.

"There were teams who were choosing not to march because they wanted the option for their athletes to leave the ceremony once they march and nothing to do with the security angle. That was changed. There were four countries that I know of," he said without mentioning the countries' names.

Canada was one of the nations which had expressed its reservations about the athletes' participation in the opening ceremony.

Moneghetti said there was no health concern in his large contingent till date.

"We had a medical report this morning and we got a clear bill of health for the Australian team; no dengue fever, no Delhi belly; nothing of that kind," he said.

"We have been very cautious about applying (mosquito) repellents. We are spraying the rooms with the mosquito spray. All in all it (stay) has been very good," said team's athletes liaison officer Petria Thomas.

Some health concerns have arisen in the village following the admission of Indian lawn bowls team manager Ruptu Gogoi, who is suspected to be down with dengue, at a private hospital.

The Australian team's chef de mission also praised the lawn bowl ground, inside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.

"The feedback I got from our players is that the lawn bowl stadium is the best in the world," Moneghetti said.