Advanced Search

The story appears on

Page A14

September 30, 2010

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sports

Langurs guard venues, Semenya out

Source: Agencies | September 30, 2010, Thursday | Print Edition

SECURITY officials at the Commonwealth Games aren't monkeying around anymore, deploying langurs at several venues in New Delhi to keep smaller simians from causing any trouble.

Langurs are a common type of monkey in South Asia, and because they are large and fierce they are often used in India to keep other monkeys in check in public places. The New Delhi Municipal Council said it will put 10 langurs on duty outside several venues.

Security remains a high priority in New Delhi with thousands of heavily armed police and military personnel scattered throughout the city.

"To me, it's great. It's what we want at every games," England women's field hockey captain Kate Walsh said. "It's definitely reassuring. I'm sure for all the girls, it's the same."

Security has been ramped up with some 100,000 police, including sniper units. Mobile surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft guns have been deployed, the Indian Express said.

MiG fighters and armed helicopters will be on standby and Mi-35 attack helicopters will be airborne during opening and closing ceremonies.

The organizers were dealt another blow when South African runner Caster Semenya pulled out of the competition because of a back injury.

Semenya, who the 800-meter world title last year in Berlin, had been the biggest star still left in the games after the withdrawal of several other high-profile athletes, including Usain Bolt, David Rudisha, Jewssica Ennis and Scottish cyclist Chris Hoy.

The Games have been plagued by problems for weeks, most significantly at the athletes' village, which was described as uninhabitable last week.

But competitors have been moving in by the hundreds as the opening ceremony nears.

"The village is fantastic. The rooms are brilliant," Walsh said. "The lounges are the most spacious I think we've probably ever had in a world sports games. We've settled in and made it our home for the next two weeks."

Teams from the 71 nations are all due to be in place at the Games Village by today, the Commonwealth Games Federation said in a statement. Some of them were practicing in the sprawling Games Village, which has extensive training facilities.

"In the same Games Village complex you have practice facilities for aquatics, wrestling, weightlifting and athletics. You don't have too many Games where you saw something like this," Games Village mayor Dalbir Singh said.

In a boost for the Games, Isle of Man cyclist Mark Cavendish, a Tour de France stage winner and one of the world's best sprinters, said he would compete in the road race.
Sports



 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend