A RECORD number of Games athletes will arrive in Manchester next week.

Team sizes are up 10 per cent on the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games, with 5,600 competitors and team officials from 72 nations registered for the event. Most will be staying at the athletes village in the Fallowfield area of Manchester.

The main dining hall is the size of a football pitch and other facilities include a bar and bistro, florist, hair salon, bank, jewellers, travel agent and merchandise store.

The village is split into two zones, residential and international, accommodating 4,800 athletes and officials from 72 nations.

Ian Emmerson, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Council for England, said: "The numbers show England is a highly respected country in which to compete."

It has taken organisers two years to plan the Village, according to Theresa Grant, the site's general manager.

And it got the thumbs up from paralympic swimmer Sarah Bailey MBE who said: "The Village looks great. When all the athletes arrive next week the place will really come alive.

"Having everyone on one site means we all have the opportunity to meet fellow competitors to socialise and generally give each other support.

"Obviously being able to compete in front of a home crowd is a great incentive."

There has been a slight change to the Commonwealth Games schedule. The 10.30am athletes session on July 29 will no longer take place as a number of the athletes due to qualify in their events will now automatically progress to the next round with the exception of Men's Long Jump which will be moved to the morning of July 30.

Spectators who had tickets for the 10.30am session will be automatically refunded.