Australian swim team confident in security measures in Delhi: Huegill, Mitcham

NEW DELHI: Australia’s butterfly swimming star Geoff Huegill has said his team-mates and he were not considering pulling out of next month’s Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi. The 31-year-old said his fellow swimmers and he were confident in the security measures that would be in place for athletes.

“I'm actually quite excited to get over there to tell you the truth,” Huegill told the Australia Associated Press on Wednesday. “I haven't had a chance to go to India yet but when you speak to anyone that has been India, this is exactly what their culture and what their lifestyle is all about. It's all chaos, it's all excitement, it's all fun and it's all colourful.

Part of the Australian swim team's leadership group, Huegill said he understood world discus champion Dani Samuels' decision to withdraw from the Games due to concerns about safety.

“Obviously Dani has to look after herself and if she doesn't feel safe or secure about the situation she's going to be in then I fully understand that,” Huegill said. “But I've been speaking to a few of the other guys on the team and none of us are concerned at all. In terms of security we've all had our briefings ... we're going to be protected at the pool, we're going to be protected at the Village and we're not worried one bit at all.

“We've all got our mosquito nets and we're all going to be packing our pillows,” he said. “I think we have to remember, while we are used to staying in some pretty nice, high-rise places, India is still classed as a third-world country. So to them what might seem really adequate might not be as adequate or at the level we think so I think for us as athletes, we don't want to show any disrespect to them.

“It's hard to see a major international meet go by where there aren't little technical hiccups. But in saying that, as an athlete that's going over there to compete I'm absolutely looking forward to it,” Huegill said.

Other swimmers like Eamon Sullivan and Ashley Callus also declared they were still intent on competing in Delhi. Divers Matthew Mitcham and Alex Croak also declared they would not withdraw without a direct recommendation from the Federal Government and the Australian Commonwealth Games Association.

“I feel 100 per cent safe,” Olympic gold medallist Mitcham declared