New Zealand athletes will compete at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games but officials will review progress around athletes’ accommodation and security on a daily basis.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee announced after a near seven-hour meeting on Friday that it would continue planning for its athletes to begin arriving in the Indian capital from Sept. 28.
President Mike Stanley said progress made by games organizers in the past 24 hours had been significant, but his organization would continue review hygiene, security and other standards around games facilities.
"We remain hopeful that things can be turned around," Stanley told a news conference late Friday. "What we found was inexcusable and unacceptable but we’ve seen a change in leadership and this is positive."
New Zealand had been among the sternest critics of living standards at the athletes’ village after its team manager Dave Currie earlier this week said he found conditions in the New Zealanders’ accommodation "unlivable."
Currie was the first team manager to describe conditions which included excrement in rooms, indications that dogs had been living in some apartments and problems with wiring, plumbing and furnishings.
Other teams later joined New Zealand in describing the village as "uninhabitable", saying rooms leaked, construction materials littered the village site and water from recent rains had pooled in many areas.
New Delhi is also battling an outbreak of dengue fever, spread by mosquitoes which breed in stagnant water.
New Zealand joined Scotland and Canada on Thursday in delaying the departure of its athletes for New Delhi as organizers, spurred by Indian government intervention, raced to address team concerns.
Stanley and NZOC secretary general Barry Maister returned from New Delhi early Friday after a 27-hour visit to assess the village and other facilities at first hand. They reported to the NZOC board Friday before it reached its decision.
Currie was also involved in the meeting by conference call from New Delhi. He indicated earlier Friday that his optimism that outstanding problems could be resolved had increased with the involvement of senior government ministers.
Stanley said New Zealand still had concerns around aspects of games preparations and would continue to push for improvement. He said the board agreed that New Zealand athletes should continue to plan to arrive from Tuesday but would daily monitor developments.
Earlier Friday, road cyclist Greg Henderson, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist on the track in 2002, became the first New Zealander to withdraw from the games citing health and security concerns.
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