Melbourne, Oct 13 (IANS) The Commonwealth Games closing ceremony will be "a great opportunity to celebrate what will be a very successful Games", Australia's chef de mission said Wednesday.

Steve Moneghetti said he will encourage all Australian athletes still in New Delhi to march in the closing ceremony as he was satisfied that there won't be a repeat of their ordeal at the Oct 3 opener.

Moneghetti had criticised Indian organisers after Australian athletes were made to wait in a hot tunnel under the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium for an hour before making their way to the ground for the opening ceremony.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief executive Perry Crosswhite has been told this won't happen again Thursday night.

The Australians will now wait outside the stadium before marching in.

"Those details (we've received) remove the tunnel of terror. So we're in a position to encourage all our athletes to march in the closing ceremony," Moneghetti told reporters at the Games Village in New Delhi.

"I think it's a great opportunity to celebrate what will be a very successful Games," the Australian Associated Press quoted him as saying.

Though about 100 Australian athletes have left New Delhi, over 300 are expected to participate in the closing ceremony.

The Games had come in for much criticism, particularly in Australia, for the lack of preparedness and hygiene issues at the Games Village.

Moneghetti reflected on the CWG as it draws to a close.

He said: "I think (it's) been the terrific attitude of the people here since I arrived that convinced me this would be a very successful Games."