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• All praise for Delhi airport volunteers

All praise for Delhi airport volunteers

Today was my first day in Delhi where the 19th Commonwealth Games gets underway on Sunday

Arriving at the (very) shiny new Indira Gandhi airport, I had expected delays and confusion as Commonwealth Games athletes and officials arrive in increasing numbers from around the world.

Reports from Delhi over the past week had not been encouraging but as one fellow traveller remarked: “Looking round here, it’s hard to believe.”

We were personally welcomed and escorted by well-trained volunteer staff who ensured a smooth transition through the airport, including the fastest accreditation procedure I had ever experienced. And I was offered coffee, sandwiches and biscuits while I waited for my luggage. I’m no VIP, but I certainly felt like one.

Some athletes who had travelled from London with me had been in transit for much longer than I: There were participants from the Caribbean and from Africa dressed in their team kit and posing for photographs with each other as we waited for our transport.

These Games mean a lot to many, many people. And they serve as a reminder of what the Commonwealth can do in bringing very different nations together for a common purpose.

Driving from the airport on the closed lane dedicated to Commonwealth Games traffic, I was reminded that this is a place of many complexities: The construction work, the informal settlements and the poverty. Delhi is a working city and most residents will be trying to get on with their lives over the next two and a half weeks.

Tonight, I will be visiting a dear friend and senior Indian journalist. I look forward to hearing her views on the Games.

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