Diplomatic feud latest woe at Commonwealth Games

NEW DELHI (AP):

The Commonwealth Games Federation quelled a brewing diplomatic feud over the opening of the New Delhi event by saying yesterday that both Prince Charles and Indian President Pratibha Patil will essentially have the honour.

With Queen Elizabeth II skipping the October 3-14 event - the first Commonwealth Games she has missed since 1966 - the prince is scheduled to speak on his mother's behalf at Sunday's opening ceremony.

The federation said in a statement that the prince "will read The Queen's message, which ends with the opening of the Games".

In the next sentence, things become slightly ambiguous.

"The president of India will then deliver her address and signal the commencement of the Games," the federation said.

Although Prince Charles will be the ranking member of Commonwealth at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, many Indians feel Patil should be the one to officially inaugurate the Games in the absence of the queen.

After media reports started debating who should open the Games, the prince's office, Clarence House, issued a statement on Monday saying there was no feud.

No row

"There is no row. Both the Prince of Wales and the president of India will have a prominent role in the opening ceremony in Delhi," Clarence House said. "We cannot be specific about the choreography, but the prince will read out the Queen's Baton message, ending by declaring the Games open."

Patil's office did not want to comment on the matter.

"This is a diplomatic issue which will be decided on by the ministry of external affairs," the Indian president's office said.

The latest scandal to hit the Commonwealth Games comes as more and more athletes - 850 were expected yesterday - are arriving in New Delhi and moving into the athletes' village, which was described last week as filthy and uninhabitable.

New Zealand, which had delayed their arrival in India until the village was cleaned up, sent their first athletes into their living quarters on Sunday night - two days later than planned.

"Obviously, there's been a bit of work going over the past few days, but as far as we're concerned, it's fine," New Zealand lawn bowling coach Dave Edwards said.

"There's a little bit of dust and some poor finishing with plaster and paint and things like that, but we're very happy with what we've got."

Some of the buildings still had leaks in them and there was still water in some basements, according to New Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, who took charge of the work at the athletes' village last week.

Last-minute preparations

"They're keeping ahead of it. They've got a lot of cleaners and workers here, but I understand there are still a few countries experiencing problems," New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie said.

The New Delhi police yesterday said that security forces have fully taken over the venues for the Commonwealth Games.

"(The) security situation is totally under control," New Delhi police commissioner Y.S. Dadwal said. "Everything is looked after."

Organizers were also working to shield visitors from one of India's most enduring problems: poverty. Many of this city's beggars have been arrested or forced from the streets, migrants have been rousted and thousands of homes hidden from sight.

Two other top athletes also withdrew from the Games yesterday - South African female gold medallist, Caster Semenya; and Cypriot high jumper Kyriakos Iannou, who won the silver medal at last year's World Championships in Berlin, pulled out of the competition "for strictly personal reasons," Cyprus Olympic Committee director Olga Piperidou said.

High-profile athletes including Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Jessica Ennis and Chris Hoy have already bowed out of the Games for various reasons.