Friday evening.

Not much new today, which was again warm and hazy. A few more shooters made their appearance and it looks as if we shall reach the anticipated 21 teams with 42 shooters. That is a few more than were in Australia four years ago.

Most targets functioned well, with only one or two showing erratic signs. We have started to do calibration tests on the targets to ensure that the "electronic centre" - the centre that the detection equipment measures from - coincides with the "optical centre" - the centre of the visible aiming mark. The first results were promising. We expect to finish these tests and analyses on 3 October, prior to going to the Opening Ceremony. In connection with the latter, we still do not have our uniforms, although these are promised in "a day or so".

After the Opening, the more serious formal practice gets under way. We have been finishing the details of this to allow everyone to have a fair chance of practising at each distance.

We had our usual police escort today. In addition, the main road to the range was totally closed to all other traffic to allow uninterrupted travel for the buses carrying the shooters from and to New Delhi. Those who are staying at the Athletes Village say that it is much better than had been feared and reported in the press.

Our route goes through some heavily congested villages/towns, where cattle and vehicles contest the road. In between are rural agricultural areas. Here life seems much less frenetic, with one of the sights that will stick in the memory being the women, clad in bright sparkling saris, often with what look like heavy loads on their heads walking perhaps to market or to their day's work in the fields. This country is a remarkable mix of the timeless and the very new.