South Africa to go to Delhi Games

"We are satisfied that all the areas of concerns have been addressed as for now," said Tubby Reddy, head of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee.
However, he warned if the health or safety of the athletes are compromised in any point of time, the team will immediately pull out of the Games.

"Team's safety and health are of paramount importance to us and if at any stage we feel that those are compromised in any way we will not hesitate to bring the team back home," Reddy said in a statement.

The decision came after a South African safety team inspected the site of the Games to investigate reports of squalid conditions and inadequate security.

Cleanliness and maintenance of the Games Village has come under sharp criticism from foreign participants as well as Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive Mike Hooper who recently described the facility as "filthy and unimaginable".

Questions have also been raised about the security and the spread of dengue fever and the collapse of the footbridge near the main venue made things worse as several top athletes back out of the competition.

Moreover, three countries -- Scotland, Canada and New Zealand -- have decided to review the situation for the next few days and delayed their departure to Delhi.
With pressure mounting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today convened a crisis meeting to address myriad complications threatening to derail next month's games.