MARCH 8 - WALES has become the first British country to express fears about travelling to New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games next year.

 

Australia's Ric Charlesworth, who has previously worked in India for the national hockey federation, has also expressed doubts about events should be held in the sub-continent.

 

It follows the terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore last week.

 

Wales Commonwealth Games Council president Anne Ellis has promised to review security arrangements for the event, due to be held in New Delhi between October 3 and 14 next year.

 

She said: "We have to be more than 100 per cent sure that they are going to be safe.

 

"But we've received a letter from the [Commonwealth] Games [Federation] chairman to say Delhi is taking security very seriously.

 

Wales are expected to send up to 150 athletes to the Games, the first time they have been held in India.

 

Ellis said: "Security is an obvious concern to anybody who is about to take a team abroad, particularly to that part of the world where we've seen some horrific incidents.

 

"We have to worry about the security because it would be irresponsible of us in Wales to take anybody if didn't think we could keep them safe during competition.

 

"The Games committee are taking pre-Commonwealth precautions on the construction sites and there's background checks of personnel being employed.

 

"For the Games period, we're told there will be comprehensive security at the venues and all over the city and security levels will be at their highest.

 

"So I am somewhat reassured that they are taking it seriously.

 

"But these are words, we must get some sort of proof that this is going to happen.

 

"We will have one or two reconnaissance missions and that will be crucial for us to make up our mind and make sure we are going to a safe place for our athletes so they can enjoy an experience of a lifetime.

 

"We must make sure we do not put our athletes in a position where they might not be safe, we have to be 150 per cent certain.

 

"I wish I could guarantee everybody's safety.

 

"But having seen what happened I don't think we can guarantee anyone's safety.

 

"I'm absolutely sure that there will be people who have reservations about going and all we can do is monitor the situation carefully for them and keep the athletes up to date.

 

"We will not expect an athlete who feels it is unsafe to go to India.

 

"If the Commonwealth Games does go ahead in Delhi, we will make sure the athletes are safe but they have a choice whether they want to go."

 

Dawn Fraser, the Australian swimming legend, last week called for the Games to be cancelled after the attack in Lahore, which followed a similar incident in Mumbai last November when nearly 200 people were murdered by terrorists.

 

Her concerns have been echoed by Charlesworth, Australia's former hockey captain and now the coach.

 

He said: "We've now got to be concerned about the whole sub-continent.

 

"Pakistan is a rogue state, I understand, but there was the attack in Mumbai and, when I was in India, bombs were going off in Delhi, in Hyderabad.

 

"From my experience there, I just don't see how you can manage such a large population for big events.

 

"I was living in India last year and one of the reasons I left was because I believed the security situation had deteriorated.

 

"My kids were going to school with armed escorts.

 

"That was a fact of life in Chandigarh, which is considered a very liveable city in India, even though it's only an hour to the border.

 

"How do you make Delhi safe for the Commonwealth Games?

 

"That's next year and we have our World Cup there next year as well.

 

"These are questions people are going to have to start asking.

 

"My feeling is that for the Commonwealth Games, they would lock down all the streets, similar to what they did for the Olympics in Beijing.

 

"Ordinary people won't be anywhere near the athletes or the competition."