The 2010 Commonwealth Games will proceed and Australia is set to compete even if England pulls out over security concerns, says Australian Games chief Perry Crosswhite.
Crosswhite said he had no reason to question security arrangements but was seeking more information over a London report citing senior government sources saying there’s “virtually no chance” England will send a team to the New Delhi Games in October.
The London Daily Telegraph reported British police and security advisers were concerned their team could be targeted by Pakistani terrorists at the Games and felt that athletes’ safety couldn’t be guaranteed at present.
It said Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would almost certainly follow suit if England withdrew and cast doubt on whether the Games could go ahead.
But Crosswhite, a member of the co-ordination commission overseeing Delhi’s preparations, said Australia remained committed to the Games where it’s expected to field one of the largest teams numbering 400 athletes and coaches.
And he was confident the Games would go on even if England withdrew.
“Absolutely. The Games will happen. Whether it’s only one team out of 71 nations, it won’t be good for the Games, but they will happen,” said Crosswhite.
“I have nothing new to change our view … everything is on track to go.
“We will take the best advice we can get and at this stage it (security) is adequate.
“I have not had one athlete, one manager, one coach – no-one has contacted me with the view that they shouldn’t be going.
“We don’t want to force athletes to go, they have to make their own decision, but no-one has raised it.”
Security at the Games has been under added scrutiny since last year’s terrorist strikes in Mumbai and the March attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in neighbouring Pakistan.
The Daily Telegraph quoted a Whitehall source saying: “If you are an English athlete there is no way you are going to want to risk your life competing at the Games. We currently cannot see any way that England will be able to send a team to Delhi next year.”
England general team manager Ann Hogbin quickly refuted the report.
“That is definitely not the case. Our current and strong intention is to field a team for the games in Delhi next year,” Hogbin said in a statement.
“Of course, we have a duty of care to the athletes and other team members which we take very seriously.
“Despite having been given extensive briefings from relevant authorities, we have not received any indication that we should not participate in the Games and we will continue to work hard to put in place the best possible arrangements for our team.”
The English newspaper said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson visited Delhi earlier this month and was believed to have voiced “serious concerns” about security.
Crosswhite also attended the security briefing in Delhi this month – and while he said the sub-continent was an “unstable” part of the world – he was pleased with the progress of the local officials.
“I’m not a security expert but they’ve employed people that are and the reports are good,” he said.
“These days security is a major issue everywhere.
“Nothing would surprise me with people making comments with security in Delhi – it just seems that everybody has become an expert.”
There has been recent precedent for teams pulling out of events in India over security fears.
Australia was forced to forfeit a Davis Cup tennis tie after refusing to play it in Chennai as scheduled earlier this year and England’s badminton team pulled out of the world championships in Hyderabad.
Organisers are preparing for nearly 8,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories for the October 3-14 Games.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Australia said it was aware of the speculation about an English withdrawal and the English association’s rebuttal.
It will allow Australia’s Games officials to decide whether security arrangements are sufficient.
“Our security advisers are certainly not recommending similar action for ourselves,” Crosswhite said of the English reports.
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