Tri-colour hoisted at Games Village, Indian athletes get warm welcome

At an elegant and colourful ceremony on Sunday, the Indian contingent was formally welcomed and ushered into the London Olympics' Games Village, says a report in The Times Of India.

“Games Village Mayor Charles Allan welcomed the Indian deputy chef de mission PKM Raja, athletes and officials at the plush apartment as the Tri-colour was hoisted while the national anthem was played. Raja exchanged mementos with Allan and then signed on the peace statue pledging India's support for spreading the gospel of peace and the Olympic movement,” says the report, adding that the Indian athletes and the officials were overwhelmed with the warmth and positive energy emanated by the troupe belonging to the National Youth theatre, enthralling the audience with their superlative acrobatics.

According to a report in Deccan Herald, the star attraction of the Indian contingent at this ‘Welcome Ceremony’ in the Olympic Village was archer Deepika Kumari. The athletes and delegates were entertained by local youngsters with lovely musical performances complemented by some acrobatic moves. The performers danced to the song “We Are The Champions” and ended with a salute to the champion athletes, who will compete for glory at the quadrennial sporting extravaganza.

Among the other Indian sportspersons present on the occasion, were the tennis doubles pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, who checked into the Olympic Village on Saturday, the boxers and some members of the hockey team. Other members of the hockey squad were busy in getting ready for their training session.

According to a report in The Hindu, Brig. Raja stated that the athletes and officials were happy with the preparations and the regular meetings with them had fetched positive feedback.

It was mentioned that four doctors, Dr. Sarla Rao, Dr. Sanjogita Soodan, Dr. B.B. Nayak and Dr. Abhishek Choudhary, and three physiotherapists, Ramesh Trivedi, Harishankar Varma and Srikant Iyengar, were taking care of the requirements of the Indian athletes round the clock.

In addition, attempts were being made to have dedicated masseurs for the Indian athletes from the gym at the Games Village, whose services were otherwise being availed on appointment.

Meanwhile The DNA reports that this week, most of London 2012's 17,000 athletes and officials arrived at the Olympic village, where they would have found comfortable if cramped living quarters. Each athlete sleeps in a single bed, though US water polo goalie Chay Lapin (6ft 5in) says there are extensions for "the tall dudes".
Of the myriad facilities inside the village, none is as popular as the 24-hour dining room, which seats 5,000 people and offers cuisine from all five continents.

Cameroon judo athlete Diedeudonne Dolassem, 32, is delighted by it. "We went to the restaurant - and, oh, it was so big," says Dolassem. "There is Halal food, European, African, Asian; no one will go hungry here. It is very, very good."