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Australia’s Commonwealth Games chef de mission Steve Moneghetti has encouraged the country’s 378-strong team to cast aside any of their fears about Delhi and embrace the October event.

Australia confirmed the team size on Thursday, with renowned marathon man Steve Moneghetti says Games chiefs should be congratulated, not castigated, for giving New Delhi the sporting event.

The athletes have been selected ahead of the September 3 deadline, except for the 16-strong women’s hockey team to be finalised after the current world cup.

The Australians on Friday will officially unveil their formal uniform for the October 3-14 Games in the Indian capital.

With one month to go, bad publicity has troubled the Delhi Games with corruption and security among concerns.

But Moneghetti, who won medals, including gold, at four Commonwealth Games, said athletes should treasure their Delhi experience.

“I think it’s brave of the Commonwealth Games – you have got to go,” he said of India hosting.

“It’s the Commonwealth Games, it’s not four nations … there are 71 countries represented in the Commonwealth and we need to embrace that.

“For most countries that go, it’s not about winning medals, it’s about being a welcome part of the Commonwealth and enjoying that cultural experience.

“So to have them in India, it’s just fantastic.

“Rather than close in or be scared, `we’re losing the Commonwealth brand’ – we are actually taking it out and exposing it to another part of the world which is a fantastic thing.”

Moneghetti was similarly bullish about the organising of the Delhi Games.

“People ask me `oh, they’re way behind’ – that’s the Indian way,” he said.

“Probably from a western culture they might be but in India that is way they do things,

“They’re actually going fine from an Indian perspective, it’s just internationally that we’re all worried.

“It will have a quite unique spin on it and that will make it a really cultural experience.”

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This post was submitted by Harshit Agrawal.

Thanks to news.smh.com.au