Wales hoping to double gold tally at Delhi Games

Wales Chef de Mission Chris Jenkins on Saturday said he was impressed with how the Commonwealth Games Village had shaped up after being caught in a mess just a few days ago and rated all the facilities as world class.

"I am really quite impressed with the transition," Jenkins said. "I had come here two weeks ago and things were really quite chaotic. But the athletes who came here three days ago are absolutely delighted with the residential wings and also the training facilities. The food is also quite good.

"The venues are outstanding and we are really looking forward to competing there," he added.

The team is hoping to double their gold count at the Delhi Games. They had registered a haul of three gold medals at the previous Games in Melbourne in 2006.

Wales has come to the Games with contingent comprising 150 athletes, who will participate in archery, badminton, lawn bowls, wrestling, women's hockey, shooting and table tennis.

Wales first took part in the Commonwealth Games (then the British Empire Games) in the inaugural 1930 edition and has since been a regular participant in all editions of the Games.  Their best showing came in the Auckland Games in 1990 where they finished with a medal haul of 25 including 10 gold.

In Melbourne, Wales bagged 19 medals including 3 gold.

One of the Welsh athletes hoping to add to his tally of medals is Melbourne CWG gold medalist, David Phelps.

Phelps explains that representing Wales in the Commonwealth Games was always preferable to representing Britain since the Commonwealth Games is the only competition where Wales represents itself as a country. Team Wales therefore never contemplated a pull-out or even a readjustment of travel plans.

Talking of medal-prospects,  Phelps said apart from defending champions Michaela Breeze (women's weightlifting), long distance swimming great David Davies, it is rising 21-year-old discus star Bratt Morse and athlete Christian Malcolm (men's 200m) who are medal contenders.