India's industry minister said his country has been a target of "unfair" criticism when it comes to its handling of the Commonwealth Games.
Anand Sharma accused the international media on Friday of "running a campaign" against India, after reports of an unfinished and filthy athletes' village in New Delhi made headlines around the world.
Officials have complained about the conditions in unfinished facilities, less than two weeks before the Games are to kick off.
As an army of workers conducted frantic, last-minute preparations on Friday, the first foreign competitors -- English field hockey and lawn bowling teams -- arrived. The teams will stay in hotels before moving to the village.
Even though the situation improved, Sharma blamed some of the construction delays on "unprecedented" heavy rains and floods. He said he would have expected "respect and understanding" from his Commonwealth partners.
He also suggested that athletes who pulled out of the Games were possibly "not confident of winning medals."
"Dated and frozen images, exaggeration, trying to run down a country is not acceptable to us," he told reporters during an official visit to Ottawa.
"I can tell you we will host the Games and we will host them in a manner which is befitting. Let's not forget that India is the largest democracy on this planet, India is also the largest country in the Commonwealth, it would be a mistake therefore not to engage with India with respect."
Canada's athletes are scheduled to arrive on Sunday, just a few days behind schedule.
Also on Friday, Australia and New Zealand softened their harsh criticism of India over the debacle, and backed away from threats their athletes wouldn't attend.
The Games are set to begin next weekend.
CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer said high-ranking officials stepped in on Wednesday and took over management of the project. Since then, the situation has begun to improve.
"Canadian officials say that since then there have been hundreds of cleaners and work crews there. It's been full steam ahead and they seem satisfied with the pace of progress," she said.
Mike Fennel, head of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said Friday the situation is improving but more work is needed before the site will be ready for athletes to take up residence.
Scott Stevenson, the director of sport for Commonwealth Games Canada, agreed with Fennel that progress has been made on the village.
Earlier this week reports and pictures from the village described a filthy, incomplete village. Plumbing and electrical was far from being done and there were even reports of human excrement in some of the rooms.
John Coates, Australia's Olympic Committee president, said Friday it was a mistake to award the high profile event to India.
He said the Commonwealth Games Federation lacks the resources to monitor the progress cities make leading up to the Games.
With files from The Canadian Press
