Archers, lifters and Bindra arrive at Olympic village

London - Ace rifle shooter Abhinav Bindra, the 10-member archery team and the four weightlifters were among the first Indians to arrive in the Olympic Village here.

Bindra, who won the historic gold medal in Beijing, was the first Indian shooter to check into the Games Village here Monday. The Indian athletes were welcomed at the village by deputy Chef de Mission P.K. Muralidharan Raja.

The Indian contingent, comprising 81 athletes and 51 officials, has been allocated the Seaside Building S1, also named the Titan. Most of the athletes and the officials are on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors.

All athletes and officials will be given accommodation on twin sharing basis. Each apartment has two double-bed rooms, TV and WIFI connection.

The main dining hall has a special corner called Foods from India and Asia, which will be operational soon.

The official welcome ceremony for the Indian contingent is slated for July 22. The Indian delegation’s request of postponing the event to July 25 so that most of the athletes and the media could attend it has been turned down by the organisers due to cramped schedule.