Oz experts' surprise over England Commonwealth 'pull-out', say security 'perfect'

Sydney, Dec.30 (ANI): While England has threatened to pull out of the 2010 Commonwealth games in New Delhi, Australian security advisors have expressed surprise and underlined that security arrangements for the competition were more than adequate.

Australian Commonwealth Games Association's chief executive, Perry Crosswhite said there is no question of sitting out of the Commonwealth games in New Delhi.

"I was in Delhi two weeks ago and the security arrangements were well-organised and also had improved since we had seen them previously. Also Australian government and our security advisers are certainly not recommending similar action for ourselves," The Sydney Morning quoted Crosswhite, as saying.

"In the past I've seen similar stories which have proved to be groundless and I would be looking to speak to the English Commonwealth Games Association before I would really want to say anything more," Crosswhite added.

Crosswhite said, during his recent New Delhi visit, the officials and authorities gave him a full presentation of security arrangements made of the coveted event.

An extra 8000 Delhi police officers would be employed for the Games, and a new coordination group would bring the country's armed forces and security agencies under the control of one authority," he said.

Meanwhile, a leading intelligence chief at past Commonwealth and Olympic games, Neil Fergus, who is associated with a Sydney-based security company, Intelligent Risks, said that the English report regarding the threat on their players were not true.

"It's not true," Fergus said.

Fergus said the Indian authorities have made tremendous progress in the security planning for the coveted event and stressed that the concerns are not bigger than those which threatened the Beijing Olympics.

"There are always issues 10 months out. There are always issues to be managed, but the Indians have made tremendous progress in security planning. I have always got (security) concerns, that's my job. More concern than Athens or Beijing? No." he added. (ANI)