Four years after India, Canada can focus solely on sport in Glasgow Games

GLASGOW Around this time four years ago, Canadian team general manager Scott Stevenson was scrubbing floors at the Commonwealth Games athletes village in India.

Canadas team had delayed its travel to New Delhi for as long as a week for some athletes because of serious concerns about hygiene and security in the village.

Canadian officials called the athletes quarters unlivable. Canada was among several countries that talked about pulling out.

Four years later, Stevenson and the rest of the Canadian team in Glasgow can focus on competition rather than cleaning and that alone could help Canada climb back into the top three on the Commonwealth medal table.

The challenge of Delhi was incredible, said Stevenson. We were looking at turning on taps that ran right to the floor. Flushing toilets that didnt flush. There were live wires. We had to buy equipment and cleaning supplies.

We had to be, in so many ways, responsible for getting the village ready ourselves.

Stevenson arrived in Glasgow to inspect Canadas living quarters, and their some-385 beds. He was three or four rooms into it when he sat back and realized Wait a second, I havent made one note yet.

Here, we could hit the ground running, Stevenson said at the teams opening news conference Tuesday.

Canada is gunning for a top-three finish in Glasgow after finishing fourth in New Delhi behind Australia, England and the home country.

Read more:
Four years after India, Canada can focus solely on sport in Glasgow Games