Competition on ‘knife-edge’ - England

The chairman of England’s Commonwealth Games team said Wednesday that problems with the athletes’ village in New Delhi had left the competition “on a knife-edge” and facing “a critical 24 to 48 hours”.

Scotland team officials have delayed the departure of their first athletes to New Delhi, having described their accommodation as “unsafe and unfit for human habitation”.

The England team management are continuing to monitor the situation.

Commonwealth Games England chairman Andrew Foster said: “I think the next 24 to 48 hours is the critical time which will tell us whether the village - which is where the main problem is now - has got enough accommodation for everybody to come into it. I think we’re at an absolutely vital time (regarding) whether the major teams go.

“Our staff have been round all 17 sports venues and they are in good order, so the key remaining feature which there’s a problem with is the village. The other problems have been resolved.

“It’s a situation that hangs on a knife-edge.”

Two high-profile English athletes — world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu and Olympic and reigning Commonwealth 400 metres champion Christine Ohuruogu — have both pulled in recent days, with Idowu citing safety concerns.

Turner admitted a substantial amount of work remained to be done at the village, but insisted a last-minute rush to the complete the facilities could still bear fruit.

“It is not certain and we will not be sending our team unless we are confident,” he said.

“There still is a serious chance, if the Indian government and the organising committee throw thousands of people at the village - which is what they quite often do in India - that this could still be salvable.

“The village still has a lot of remedial work needing to be done. But it is the case in India, when building projects are coming to a conclusion, that that is a typical way that things happen and that is quite a big cultural difference.

LONDON (AFP)