New Delhi, Sept. 22: India struggled to keep its Commonwealth Games on track Wednesday, with England warning the event was on a “knife edge” over complaints of filthy housing and growing structural and security fears.
Officials said Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell was flying in Thursday for a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the problems overwhelming the October 3-14 event in New Delhi.
Commonwealth Games England chairman Andrew Foster warned that the next 24-48 hours would be “critical”. “It’s a situation that hangs on a knife-edge. We will not be sending our team unless we are confident,” Foster said, with athletes due to begin arriving this week for an event that was meant to showcase the modern India.
However, England’s world champion triple jumper Phillips Idowu became the latest star to pull out of the scandal-marred event due to security reasons, saying his family is more important than a medal.
The pull out of Idowu came hours after his compatriots — Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and 2006 Melbourne Games gold medallist 1500m runner Lisa Dobriskey — decided to withdraw from the Games due to injuries.
Idowu said in his Twitter page that he was withdrawing from the mega event as he cannot risk his life because he has two children to take care of. “I can’t afford to risk my safety in the slightest. Sorry people, but I have children to think about. My safety is more important to them than a medal,” he tweeted.
Indian officials have struggled to keep a positive outlook on the event, despite the mounting concerns at home and abroad. “There are some problems. But they are not insurmountable,” New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters.