Aussie Games equipment finally released

AAP

Indian authorities have finally released Australia's Commonwealth Games sporting equipment after it languished in port for more than 10 days.

The Games kick off on October 3 in New Delhi but team officials begin arriving to the athletes village on Friday, when the equipment is now expected to reach the host city.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) officials have stepped up their logistics and monitoring operations as more equipment is headed to India next week.

The container arrived on September 6 to the port of Mumbai, on the country's west coast, but a shipping backlog forced the vessel to anchor offshore for 12 days.

It also contains poles belonging to champion vaulter Steve Hooker, alongside training equipment, medical supplies and furniture for the association to set up headquarters during the Games.

The ACGA made a desperate plea to Sujatha Singh, India's high commissioner to Australia, who contacted India's Ministry of Shipping and asked that the ship be berthed and the container be unloaded.

ACGA chief executive Perry Crosswhite received an email on Saturday around 9am (AEST) that the equipment was on the move.

"The ship had docked overnight (Friday), the container had been taken off and straight away it had been cleared," Mr Crosswhite told AAP.

He expects the container to be loaded on a train on Saturday before it begins its 1,400km journey from Mumbai to Delhi.

"The 2-3 day journey, a security check of the container in Delhi and transport to the athletes village should have the equipment to the team by Friday," Mr Crosswhite said.

"The normal wait time at a port is around 3-4 days, which means the equipment will arrive more than a week late and in the nick of time.

"As far as setting up our medical operation, our doctors and all of them come in on the Friday so we'll be ready for them to set up."

"If we meet that timetable there's no issue. The athletes dont start arriving until September 27."

The temporary stuff-up means the ACGA will have to dedicate more of its limited resources to keep on eye on further shipments due to arrive by plane and all other logistics that are dependent on Indian authorities.

"It put us on notice that we've got to be on top of every movement and every logistical thing, and just following it up all the time to make sure that it gets done in the time we need it," Mr Crosswhite said.

"We're just going to have to work harder. That's probably what its going to come down to."