India minister 'prays' for Games success

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said she can only pray for a successful Commonwealth Games next year after admitting to delays in the construction of venues.

"I only keep praying that we won't let the country down," Dikshit told the Press Trust of India as concerns mounted over the slow progress of work for the October 3-14 Games in the Indian capital.

Dikshit's remarks came after Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell said he was distressed by a report that two major venues won't be ready till June next year, barely three months before the opening ceremony.

The CGF's co-ordination commission said last week that work on the Nehru stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics programme will be held, and the swimming complex, was way behind schedule.

"We have continuously received assurances on the delivery timelines for these projects, and to now hear that there are further delays is distressing," Fennell said in a statement.

"These delays will have an impact upon the organising committee's operational planning, particularly in relation to the conduct of test events and overlay installation. There can be no further delays."

Dikshit, whose local government is charged with building the infrastructure for the Games, admitted the construction was lagging, but was confident the work had picked up in recent months.

"There will be areas of concern, but everybody is trying, everybody is on board, the funds are there. So we just need to see that it is implemented," Dikshit told PTI.

"(But) we will be ready. We have got eight months to go. Actually, nine months to go but I said eight months. And you can see work going on all over Delhi."