S.Africa fears dengue fever at Delhi games
South Africa's top sports administrator said today he feared his athletes could contract dengue fever at the Commonwealth Games as he gave a withering assessment on the athletes' village.
South Africa's top sports administrator said on Wednesday he feared his athletes could contract dengue fever at the Commonwealth Games as he gave a withering assessment on the athletes' village.
Tubby Reddy, head of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, should receive a report from a team of safety inspectors later on Wednesday who will recommend whether the team should travel to New Delhi.
But Reddy's initial verdict added further pressure on the organisers of the troubled tournament, which is due to begin in the Indian capital on October 3.
"We've been concerned for a while now," Reddy told AFP.
"The athlete's village is not adequately ready and there are questions about sanitation. The general area is full of sludge, rubble and water due to monsoon rains, and we are worried about mosquito-related dengue fever."
Reddy said he was now awaiting the full verdict of his fact-finding team before his organisation would make its own recommendations on whether to travel although a final decision would be left to the South African government.
"We sent in an inspection team last week and are due to get that final report today," he said.
"Once we have the report today, we'll report back and the government of our country will decide."
Some British and Australian athletes have already pulled out of the competition, with the collapse of a footbridge near the main venue on Tuesday adding to question marks over security after a gun attack on tourists.