A day at the CWG Village

It would appear the fuss has died down, for the moment at least. Aabhas Sharma spends some time at the Village and finds the volunteers are the stars of the show

For more than two years, I have been driving past the Commonwealth Games Village every day on my way to work. Intent on manoeuvring through the traffic, it never merited more than an occasional glance. And then the press went to town about it. First the reports were bad, then horrific, then they were good. In the end, they were simply confused. As good a time as any to make a visit.

I found the Village bustling with activity. An army of volunteers helping athletes and visitors, mostly pointing out directions, ubiquitous security personnel intent on avoiding any hassle. As I soaked in the atmosphere, a Rwandan delegate smiled “It’s a fantastic experience and we are making the most of it,”. By most of it, I gathered, he meant interacting with athletes, walking around the landscaped gardens and making sure things are in place.

At 10.30 in the morning most of the athletes were out competing at events or resting in the residential blocks. “Come in the evening and you will find a lot more people,” said Prateek, a college student volunteering at the Village. He is having a lot of fun, he tells me, “We had Advaita (popular rock band) performing here and Pentagram will perform tonight.”

Most of the areas — like the international zone — are restricted to the athletes only. The international zone has a gaming area with a billiards table, an ice-cream parlour and the merchandise shop along with a handicrafts outlet. In the evening, the place has a festive look to it.

Walking around, I overheard two security personnel laughing over how gold medallist weightlifter Renu Bala came back to the Village in an autorickshaw after winning the medal! Hockey player Arjun Halappa could be spotted on the lawns which, every evening, turn into a space for artisans to showcase their handicrafts. This is quite a draw with most of the foreign athletes. An information board in front of the makeshift stalls explains the kind of work on display. Halappa said he is enjoying himself at the Village and is happy with the arrangements.

The volunteers, however, remain the stars of the show at the Village. Over 100 of them have been deputed to help residents for directions or any other kind of help. “It’s about helping our country,” says 35-year-old Rakesh Singh, who has taken leave from his job as an accountant with a private company. He said he finds most of the athletes down-to-earth and easy to talk to.

Spectator interest might be low in the Games but the athletes are revelling in the atmosphere at the Village. “Far better than I expected it to be,” says New Zealand gymnast Jordan Rae. She echoed my sentiments.