NEW DELHI, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Poor security and dirty and unfinished game venues threaten the success of the Commonwealth Games in India, officials said.
New Zealand, Canada and Scotland have delayed the arrival of athletes and Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennell is set to meet Indian Prime Manmohan Singh for emergency talks, the BBC reported Thursday.
The Olympic-like games are scheduled to start Oct. 3, and India said the games would go ahead despite claims the athletes' village is incomplete.
"There is a problem. It needs fixing," said Mike Hooper, chief executive of the federation. "I'm not into pointing fingers. They have the next couple of days to put things right."
The $290 million athletes' village for some 7,000 participants is unfinished even though it was due to open Thursday. A pedestrian bridge collapsed last week, injuring 27 workers, some severely, The Guardian (Britain) reported.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit criticized the media for exaggerating problems.
"Something may be dripping, some tile may collapse -- (that) doesn't mean the entire Games are bad," she told reporters.
Monsoon rains, labor stoppages and widespread outbreaks of Dengue fever are among the problems with which Indian officials have had to deal, reports said.
"We believe it is just about doable if they throw lots of resources at it and are very focused," said Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of Commonwealth Games England.
The games are held every four years, and feature events the Olympic Games don't recognize.
