Twenty armed guards at every entry point of your hotel and military escorts everywhere you go, but Black Sticks coach Shane McLeod feels more comfortable in India than in Perth two days ago.
Eighteen members of his side, plus support staff, arrived at New Delhi airport ahead of the Hockey World Cup on Tuesday following a two-match Australian series defeat and were quickly swept through customs.
"The unknown of what we were coming in to was tough," he said.
"Any chance of exposure to the public, or any sort of threats, has been well taken care of.
"The guys know this is a World Cup and they are very keen to play hockey.
"The world is changing and if we pulled out of this tournament then where does it stop?"
On Monday, wanted terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri and his '313 brigade', which act as an operational arm of Al Qaeda, sent a threat to the Asia Times newspaper. It said:
"We warn the international community not to send their people to the 2010 Hockey World Cup, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Commonwealth Games. If they do they will be responsible for the consequences."
The message came two days after ten people were killed in a bomb blast at a German Bakery in Western India. It was the first attack since November 2008 in Mumbai when 173 people were killed and 308 wounded in ten co-ordinated shooting and bombing attacks across India's largest city.
But McLeod had a message of his own.
"They (Al Qaeda) want people not to attend, they want it to be as difficult as possible and they have had a victory with a little email I feel," he said.
"It is frustrating how they operate and the disruption caused is what they thrive on.
"Although we will probably get through this unscathed, and we hope and pray that is the case, with all the precautions everything is ten times as tense."
Unlike the IPL, which 60 matches are spread across 12 venues, the Hockey World Cup is based exclusively in New Delhi.
"A key factor in us being able to feel 90 percent secure is that we are not dispersed. The cricket has to do their own assessment because of its different locations and having to supply security for all those places would be challenging," McLeod said.
The IPL cricket assessment will be revealed on Wednesday when New Zealand Players Association boss Heath Mills digests the findings from sub-continent security specialist Reg Dickason.
McLeod, like many in the sporting community, saw the World Cup as a pivotal moment in India's development and credibility.
"Now is a test gauge for the Commonwealth Games – where 200 New Zealand athletes are expected to compete in October - which will be an interesting event for India to manage. It will be tougher than the World Cup, but as long as they do this well then I would feel confident and comfortable coming back," he said.
Auckland and Black Sticks forward Simon Child, who at 21 has 117 caps, pulled out of the tournament because of his security concerns, but McLeod moved quickly to quash thoughts others maybe having doubts.
"This is a life experience for these guys, to be in India and at a World Cup, so the drive and passion is strong," he said.
"Simon a real loss because he is world class and one of our star