World and Olympic champs make up for star pullouts in CWG

Athletics, which is the centre of attraction in any multi-sport event, has been hit the worst by star pull-outs with the likes of three-time world and Olympic gold medallist sprinter Usain Bolt, England's world champion triple jumper Phillips Idowu, Australia's women's discus world champion Dani Samuels, world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis of England and 800m women world champion Caster Semeya staying away from the Delhi Games for varied reasons.

Among others who will not be in Delhi are Jamaicans Veronica Campbell-Brown (Olympic 200m champion), Shelly-Ann Fraser (Olympic 100m champion)) and former world sprint record holder Asafa Powell.
But despite the pull outs, the track and field lineup still features numerous accomplished athletes.

World and Olympic champion Australian pole vaulter Steve Hooker will be one of the crowd-pullers at the Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium here.

And giving Hooker company would be Kenya's 1500m Olympic champion Nancy Jebet Lagat, New Zealand's Olympic and two-time world champion shot putter Valerie Vili, world indoor long jump champion Fabrice Lapierre, world steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi, Olympic steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto, and world women's 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot.

If athletics was a loser, it is aquatics which has got one of the most impressive fields in the Delhi Games even though Australia's triple Beijing Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice has pulled out due to injury.

Leisel Jones, winner of two gold medals in Beijing , will lead Australia's 52-member swimming team in Delhi, and joining her would be former world champion Geoff Huegill and Olympic and world champion Jessicah Schippers among others.
If that was not enough, Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington, the 800-meter world record holder, will join world champions Liam Tancock, Gemma Spofforth and Keri-Anne Payne as part of the 45-strong England team.

From India's point of view, world number one middle-weight boxer and Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh, recently-crowned world champion wrestler Sushil Kumar, world number two woman shuttler Saina Nehwal, world champion shooters Ronjan Sodhi and Tejaswini Samant, Beijing Olympics gold medallist marksman Abhinav Bindra are among the champion athletes.

With world champion and four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Australia, hosts India and Pakistan in action at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here, hockey is also expected to draw a lot of attention in the Delhi Games.
Sqaush will also feature a world champion in action in five-time champion and world number one woman player Nicole David of Malaysia while badminton's profile will be raised by the presence of Beijing Olympic silver medallist and world's number one Lee Chong Wei.

Cycling is another event which will feature some big guns in Delhi with double Madison world champion and Commonwealth Games track gold medallist Mark Cavendish leading the field.