Doha sets high standards in providing facilities to athletes

Doha, Nov 29 (UNI) The organisers of the Asian Games here have provided such high class facilities for the sportspersons that it will be difficult for other nations bidding to host the Games in future to match them.

Be it food or accomadation, the athletes are being pampered to no extent and the sportspersons are enjoying every bit of that.

Athletes' Village is the best example of the facilities that athletes can ask for and they get it without any hitch.

The village, which was formally opened on November 15, is located in the heart of the city and has accommadation facility for more than 11,000 athletes and officials.

Indian sportspersons and officials, like others, are awestruck with the village.

Shooter Anjali Bhagwat described the village as fantastic.

''Before coming here, I could never imagine that Doha would welcome athletes with such a superb facility,'' she gushed.

The Indian sportspersons are also impressed by the variety and quality of food available at the village athletes' dinning hall and feel at home as more than 75 per cent Indians seem to be working in dining and catering.

What made Anjali particularly happy was when one of the staff spoke to her in Marathi, the shooter's mother tongue.

The village has been divided into three zones -- public zone, international zone and residential zone. Public zone comprises the media centre, press workrooms and the media sub-centre, guest pass centre and protocol zone.

The international zone is accessible to all guests of the village as well as media representatives. It has the flag plaza where teams' welcome ceremonies are to be conducted.

The retail centre includes bank, post office, dry cleaning facility, photo shop, local cultural studio, hairdressing salon, ticketing office, internet stations, car rentals, coffee, snack shops and general merchandising.

The residential zone is for the athletes, team officials and village workforce. It consists of leisure and recreation centre, running track, athletes' dining hall and staff dining.

The media, from more than 60 nations, has widely acclaimed the main media centre.

Table tennis official V K Bawa said he has not seen such facilities for sportspersons in any world championships.

''It is really fantastic,'' he added.

''The facilities are the best and never seen before,'' opined National Rifle >Association of India Secretary Baljit Singh Sethi.

Most of the sportspersons admitted that they did not anticipate so much of greenery in Doha. But after seeing the excellent landscaping of the Athletes' Village and its lush green grass, they had to change their opinion.

''The Games organisers have surpassed the facilities offered at the previous Asian Games. I am hopeful that athletes and officials will have a gala time here,'' said Mr Sethi.

After the games, the Qatar government will hand over the state-of-the-art village to the Hamad Medical Corporation for residential purpose.

UNI HSB AY RAI1325