With under a year to go until the  Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, England’s preparations are well underway in getting support structures in place.
 
Commonwealth Games England has appointed the English Institute of Sport’s (EIS) Dr Mike Loosemore as Chief Medical Officer for the English team and has been working over the past few months to prepare for the Games.
 
Organising and advising the medical team working with the England squad leading into the Games and throughout, Dr Loosemore will be utilising his experience from previous Commonwealth and Olympic Games on top of his breadth of experience working with a number of high performance sports, in order that high quality medical support exists across the squad.
 
“I am delighted to have been appointed as Chief Medical Officer for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games” says Dr Loosemore.
 
“Playing a key role at major events like this fits with what we are aiming to achieve at the EIS; continuity of care in England and overseas for elite athletes at major competitions” he adds.
 
Having led the medical support for the 2008 Youth Games in Pune, India, Dr Loosemore visited the Delhi site in October with team managers to establish how medical support will be delivered and managed whilst at the event.
 
“Whilst out in Delhi we built on our contacts with local private facilities with the British Embassy which will help with our medical support leading into and during the Games” Dr Loosemore explains.
 
“The medical facility is to be built soon and will be a poly-clinic suitable for event support and with our extended network of medical facility contacts we will have a depth of support during the event” he adds.
 
The squad for the Commonwealth Games is anticipated to be around 550 athletes and as part of his role, Dr Loosemore will recruit a medical team that will support them.
 
“With such a large number of athletes it will be important to put together a leading team of medical professionals in order to provide world leading support whilst at the Games” Dr Loosemore explains.
 
“Another key focus for the medical support will be the changes in environment and cultural differences which will impact upon both our preparation and provision of support for the event” he adds.
 
Other EIS appointments to the Commonwealth Games England programme include Lynda Daley, who continues her role as Chief Physiotherapist for the Games, a role previously performed at both the 2002 Manchester and 2006 Melbourne Games as well as the 2004 Bendigo and 2008 Pune Commonwealth Youth Games. Daley will lead the team of physiotherapists coordinating support at the Games, which will be recruited over the coming months.   
 
Working across a number of sports and their athletes and coaches involved with the Commonwealth Games, the EIS will provide support services required by sports leading up to and during the event.
 
The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports - archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.

Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England's team at the Commonwealth Games. Team England finished second to Australia on the medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes.


Sport England is a major funder of the England team at the Commonwealth Games. Sport England is responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport system of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. Their focus is growing and sustaining the numbers of people taking part in sport and improving talent development to help more people excel.
 
For further information about Commonwealth Games England please contact the Commonwealth Games England press office at Matchtight Ltd on 01225 443998 or 07831 755351 or see the CGE’s website at www.weareengland.org <http://www.weareengland.org>