Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Indian athletes battling the soaring temperatures and lack of cooling in their rooms in the Paris Olympic Games Village have been provided with 40 portable air conditioners by the Sports Ministry to make their stay comfortable.
The air-conditioners were sent to the Games village after discussions with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the French Embassy according to sources in the ministry.
“Taking into consideration the issues faced by athletes at the Olympic Games village because of the temperature and humidity in Paris, the Ministry of Sports decided to provide 40 ACs in the Games Village rooms where the Indian athletes are staying,” the source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Temperatures have soared in both Paris and Chateauroux, the two main Olympic Games venues.
In the men’s 50m rifle 3-positions event, all the eight finalists, including India’s bronze-winner Swapnil Kusale, were seen sweating profusely at the Chateauroux shooting range. There are reports that temperatures have touched an unbearable 40 degrees Celsius on some days in Paris.
Even before the Games started, several contingents had expressed their concerns about the weather in Paris after the organisers said that they would shun air conditioning to cut the carbon footprint of the event.
