C'Wealth Games: Pakistan, Bangladesh satisfied with facilities at Village

A day after complaining about the arrangements at the Commonwealth Games Village, Pakistan high commissioner Shahid Malik today expressed satisfaction at the facilities and said most of the national athletes will check in at the 63.5 acre sprawling complex here tomorrow.

"We are quite satisfied with the facilities and the credit for this goes to Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit, who has taken personal interest," Malik told reporters.

"Pakistan has never raised any security issue and never did they say that they are not willing to stay at the village. We are satisfied with the security and 90 per cent of our athletes are coming tomorrow and the rest will be coming in a day or two," he added.

In a guarded response, Malik had said yesterday that there were some areas at the Games Village which needs to be taken care of so that athletes feel comfortable staying here.

There were severe criticism of the living conditions of the Games village with some participating nations, including Australia, New Zealand and England terming the residential complex as "filthy and unlivable".

His Bangladesh counterpart Tarik A Karim also gave a thumbs up to the arrangements and said he was happy with the facilities and athletes from his country will arrive here on Thursday.

"I am happy with the facilities here. Our contingent will come day-after-tomorrow," Karim told reporters after the waiting journalists and cameramen pounced on him for sound bytes.

Karim was visually annoyed at the behaviour of the media and expressed his disgust, saying, "I am not happy with the way you are crowding me."