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OTTAWA, Thursday (Reuters) - Canada dismissed a call for Zimbabwe to be banned from this year's Commonwealth Games on Wednesday, saying the African country's suspension from the 54-nation grouping had nothing to do with sport.

New Zealand is pressing for Zimbabwe's exclusion from the July games in Manchester after the Commonwealth decided on Tuesday to suspend the country for a year in the wake of President Robert Mugabe's controversial election win last week.

But Paul DeVillers, Canada's secretary of state for sport, said Zimbabwe still remained a member of the Commonwealth, which is made up largely of former British colonies, and should therefore be allowed to compete.

"The intention of the suspension is to isolate the government, not necessarily punish the people or the athletes, so it would make sense to me that they would still be permitted to participate," he told reporters.

"All that's been done is that they've been suspended from the Commonwealth for a year."

The Commonwealth Games Federation said on Wednesday that Zimbabwe would be invited to compete at the Manchester games.

"The suspension that has occurred is only from the councils of the Commonwealth, not from the Commonwealth itself," chief executive Mike Hooper told Reuters.

"It only relates to governmental involvement -- that is the nature of the suspension. Zimbabwe remains a member of the Commonwealth and as a Commonwealth nation they are invited to participate (in the Games)," he said.

DeVillers, echoing Britain's position, said the final decision should be taken by the federation. 

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