Athletes begin to arrive in New Delhi ahead of Games- Friday,Sept. 24, 2010.

Athletes begin to arrive in New Delhi ahead of Games



British athletes and team officials walk past security personnel as they arrive to participate in the Commonwealth Games, at the airport in New Delhi, India, Friday,
Sept. 24, 2010. (AP / Saurabh Das)



A child of a worker is tied with a leash to a pole, left, on a road divider as she sits next to her sister, in the backdrop of Shera, the mascot of the Commonwealth Games, in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. The child's parents were laying tiles on a road divider ahead of the Commonwealth Games, and the child was tied so that she doesn't wander off accidentally to the busy road around. (AP / Gurinder Osan)

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This exclusive photo made available to CTV News shows the state of the athletes' village for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Sept. 23, 2010.


This exclusive photo made available to CTV News shows the state of the athletes’ village for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010.

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This exclusive photo made available to CTV News shows the state of the athletes' village for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Sept. 24, 2010.

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This exclusive photo made available to CTV News shows the state of the athletes' village for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Sept. 24, 2010.

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This exclusive photo made available to CTV News shows the state of the athletes' village for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Sept. 24, 2010.

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Cleaners stand in a queue to be allowed in to clean the athletes' village in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. (AP / Kevin Frayer)

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Construction debris lie scattered at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main venue for the Commonwealth Games, in New Delhi, India, Friday, Sept. 24, 2010. (AP / Mustafa Quraishi)

Updated: Fri Sep. 24 2010 05:53:45

CTV.ca News Staff

There were signs of progress in New Delhi Friday in the race to get facilities completed, cleaned and livable in time for the Commonwealth Games.

A number of athletes have pulled out altogether, or delayed their arrival to the event, which is set to begin next weekend, after reports emerged of deplorable conditions at the athlete's village.

On Friday, Australia's Olympic Committee president said it was a mistake to allow India to host the international sporting event in the first place.

But as of Friday morning things were looking up, after high-ranking officials stepped in on Wednesday and took over management of the project, said CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer.

"Canadian officials say that since then there have been hundreds of cleaners and work crews there. It's been full steam ahead and they seem satisfied with the pace of progress," she said.

Mike Fennel, head of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said Friday the situation is improving but more work is needed before the site will be ready for athletes to take up residence.

While a number of teams have delayed their arrival -- including the Canadians -- the first athletes from Commonwealth countries have begun to touch down in New Delhi.

A team from England arrived Friday, though they will be staying in a hotel for a few days, not the athlete's village.

"Everybody is very excited, wants to get there, you know, get in with the action and get going really," Caroline Searle, spokeswoman for the English team, said Friday as the athletes left the airport.

Canada's team is set to arrive on Sunday.

Scott Stevenson, the director of sport for Commonwealth Games Canada, agreed with Fennel that progress has been made on the village.

Earlier this week reports and pictures from the village described a filthy, incomplete village. Plumbing and electrical was far from being done and there were even reports of human excrement in some of the rooms.

John Coates, Australia's Olympic Committee president, said Friday it was a mistake to award the high profile event to India.

He said the Commonwealth Games Federation lacks the resources to monitor the progress cities make leading up to the Games.

With files from The Canadian Press