Delhi poised for opening ceremony

2010 COMMONWEALTH GAMES
Venue: Delhi, India Dates: 3-14 October 2010 Coverage: The opening ceremony is due to begin at 1430 BST on Sunday, 3 October. Comprehensive live coverage across BBC TV, radio, online, BBC Red Button, mobile and BBC iPlayer services. Full coverage details here. Full schedule of events here.

An inflatable ufo looks set to grace the opening ceremony in Delhi

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will officially start on Sunday with a spectacular opening ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.

The Games, the first to be staged in India, have been dogged by problems with the athletes' village being called "inhospitable" just last week.

However, Games officials have worked round the clock to ensure competitions start, as scheduled, on Monday.

Prince Charles will represent the Queen at the ceremony.

His exact role had been a source of confusion with local media reports claiming Indian President Pratibha Patil would officially open the Games.

But Clarence House, after emphasising that both would have roles in the ceremony, has confirmed the Prince will read out the Queen's baton message before declaring the Games open.

The exact details of what will happen during the opening ceremony are a closely guarded secret but BBC Sport's Gordon Farquhar has been to the dress rehearsal and said it will be a show that vibrates with the sounds and rhythms of India, majoring on the nation's culture and heritage rather than Bollywood glitz.

Gordon Farquhar Blog The opening ceremony will be a show that vibrates with the sounds and rhythms of India, majoring on the nation's culture and heritage

The action begins on Monday with England's double Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington chasing one of the eight gold medals up for grabs on the first day.

The 21-year-old starts a busy programme that will see her compete in four events in Delhi in the 200m freestyle, although she faces stiff opposition from, among others, team-mate and Commonwealth Games record holder Jo Jackson.

Four other titles will be decided in the pool on day one while two weightlifting and one artistic gymnastics gold will also be awarded.

About 7,000 athletes and support staff from 71 nations are expected in the Indian capital for the 19th staging of the Games.

However, construction delays, corruption scandals, a dengue fever outbreak, the collapse of a footbridge near the main stadium and a suspected militant attack on two foreign tourists have blighted the build-up.

The Games were further put at risk last week when several countries, including England, Scotland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand expressed their concerns over the poor state of the athletes' village.

Some athletes had their departures to Delhi delayed while others were put up in hotels as more 4,000 people, who were drafted in to work round the clock, made sure the village was hospitable.

Turn your attention toward the Games, enjoy the Games P. Chidambaram, Indian Home Minister

The cost of the Games is now estimated to have risen as high as $6bn (£3.8bn) - 60 times the original estimate when they were awarded in 2003.

But India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram has promised the money will deliver "foolproof" security.

Upto 17,000 paramilitary troopers have reinforced the 80,000 member of the police force on duty in the city.

"Turn your attention toward the Games, enjoy the Games," said Chidambaram.

On Friday, England's chef de mission Craig Hunter said: "We're certainly in a much much better place than we were.

Chidambaram has urged fans to focus on the sporting action

"Our new arrivals are saying it's not as bad as we thought it would be. There are still some issues, and there'll be issues right until we leave, but the good thing is there's more rapid reaction to them and we can address them pretty much straight away."

England's flag bearer Nathan Robertson , a veteran of four Commonwealth Games, also praised the facilities for athletes.

"The village quality has been very good, the food hall's excellent -- actually the accommodation is possibly some of the best we've stayed in," said the badminton player.

However, several athletes, including England's world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu and Australia's world discus champion Dani Samuels have pulled out of the event citing health and safety concerns.

England track stars Christine Ohuruogu and Lisa Dobriskey have withdrawn through injury, while Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Kenya's David Rudisha are two of several high-profile absentees.

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