The former long-distance runner, who won medals in the marathon at four consecutive Commonwealth Games, including the gold at Victoria in 1994, returned from the Indian capital last week where he was attending a meeting for all the team leaders.

Moneghetti said: "As people say, when you first get to India, it's a bit confronting but then you embrace it.

"It won't be a sanitised, Western version of a Commonwealth Games where it's like walking down the street here and having a coffee.

"But I think, within reason, the Games experienced will be enhanced because it's in Delhi, not in spite of.

"It's a completely different experience."

The build-up to the Games have been overshadowed by concerns of the delay in building facilities and security fears.

Moneghetti said: "It's kind of the Indian way that they work to time-lines.

"If you say you need that building finished on the first of July, it'll be finished on the first of July, not earlier.

"The risk of that is . . . they won't have a lot of time for practising, rehearsing and troubleshooting."

The Indian authorities have imposed strict guidelines on security in a bid to try to reassure countries that it will be safe during the Games, which are due to open on October 3.

The recently-completed hockey World Cup - which was won by Australia - was seen as a dress rehearsal for the Games.

Moneghetti said: "We had a lady with us and they wouldn't let her take her handbag in [the hockey stadium].

"You couldn't take cameras in, you couldn't take phones in because phones have cameras.

"There was a group of Australians I spoke to who took an hour-and-a-half to get into the venue.

"That sort of heightened security probably was over the top . . . but you can always ease back on security - it's hard to make it harder."


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