Bigger team for Delhi

PAPUA New Guinea will send the largest contingent ever when it competes in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games due to inclusion of rugby sevens and the netball teams.
They will leave on Sept 28 for Brisbane, Australia, before getting on Air India charter from Brisbane direct to Delhi, India.
Chef de mission Tamzin Wardley confirmed that the main team would travel in 74 days time.
A total contingent of 129, including 86 athletes, will be travelling to India.
Wardley said eight sports would be represented including athletics (21), swimming (6), boxing (7), lawn bowls (12), weightlifting (6), squash (2) netball (12) and rugby7s (12). 
The Games also includes paralympic competition within athletics (3) and weightlifting (4).
She also said the Commonwealth Games management team would be headed by John Susuve.
The deputy team manager is Fiona Speedy, athletes representative Johnathan Kassman and the media team includes Andrew Molen and Jason Pini. 
The team is also supported by two doctors and three physiotherapists led by Dr Bernard Amof.
“All the teams have come through the justification process and all names, including non-travelling reserves have been entered into the Delhi accreditation system,” Wardley added. She said that preparations had been extensive and each sport had used both local and international competition to prepare their athletes.
Teams have been travelling across Asia and the Pacific for lead-up competitions with PNG swimmers recently returning from Samoa, and athletics from India where they attended the Asian Grand Prix and PNG’s boxers are now residing in Thailand at a boxing centre, until the Games begin.
She said the hardest part of our preparation had been some of the administration turmoil in some of our sports.
“Boxing and lawn bowls have all made headlines recently and we are trying to ensure that this does not affect the athletes who have been selected to represent their sport and country,” Wardley said.
She explained that the athletes registered had all been through the Sports Federation justification process and were the only athletes allowed to travel to Delhi. 
“The Delhi accreditation has now closed and no changes will be allowed by the organisers from here on. Only athletes and the nominated reserves already entered in to the system will be allowed to travel.”