India plan massive security for 2010 Games

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will adopt security methods similar to those used at the Beijing Olympics, its chief said on Wednesday, allaying fears the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team could scupper the event.

Speculation about the fate of the Games, due to be held in New Delhi, has intensified since last year's attacks in Mumbai and Tuesday's bloody ambush in Lahore which left six players and a coach wounded and eight people dead.

A number of Australian athletes -- the top team in the Games -- have expressed reservations about competing in India, with former swimming champion Dawn Fraser calling for the event to be moved.

"We don't want another Munich," Fraser said, referring to the deadly attacks on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. "With an attack like that you wouldn't be sending any team over to that region at all."

More than 4,000 athletes from over 50 countries are expected to compete in 17 sports at the New Delhi Games, making it the biggest sporting event held in India.

The Commonwealth Games Federation CGF chiefs held a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, where security was elaborately discussed, organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi said.

"We're working on security, it has always been an issue with us from the beginning," he told Reuters on Wednesday.

"We're tying up things, with a lot of CCTV's etc. We're using very modern methods which were also used in Beijing at the Olympics last year."

MOVING AHEAD

"A lot of things are moving ahead as this is our number one concern," he said. "We're monitoring it on a day-to-day basis."

The CGF security chief had also visited India and discussed security details with the Delhi police and interior ministry officials, he added.

CGF chief executive Michael Hooper said the security planning for the games was on track and Australian experts, Intelligent Risk, constantly reviewed security.

"The CGF is enormously aware of the need to ensure that a safe and secure environment is provided for the Commonwealth's athletes at the Games," he said in a statement.

"Security plans at all major events are subject to continual review and are amended as appropriate to reflect the threat assessment at a particular time.

"Everyone is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for the Commonwealth's athletes."

The Commonwealth Games Council for England CGCE and a top Australian sports official gave their backing to keeping the Games in India despite growing concerns over security.

"We are tracking the situation very closely as the safety and security of Team England's athletes is paramount," said a CGCE spokeswoman, adding that a report to the Commonwealth Games Associations by the CGF in June was the next milestone.

Additional reporting by Julian Linden in Sydney and Kylie MacLellan in London







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