22 Sep 2010

Six more athletes pull out of Delhi Games

12:08 pm on 22 September 2010

Six more high profile athletes have withdrawn from the beleagured Delhi Commownealth Games.

The world women's discus champion Dani Samuels withdrew from the Australian team, concerned about security and health in the Indian capital.

The 22-year-old Samuels says she was so stressed at the start of this week by issues surrounding the Games she couldn't bring herself to train.

Kenya's Olympic 1,500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop and women's world 10,000 metres champion Linet Masai have also all pulled out because of injuries while Britain's Olympic 400 metres champion Christine Ohuruogu and team-mates Phillips Idowu and Lisa Dobriskey are also not going now.

It is understood world triple jump champion Idowu has concerns over Games preparations, whereas Ohuruogu and Dobriskey both have injury worries.

All three were due to defend their Commonwealth titles in Delhi.

The withdrawals came as the athletes' village was criticised and branded as unfit for human habitation.

Ohuruogu, the Olympic 400 metres champion, says she didn't want to risk aggravating a muscle problem after suffering cramp during training.

Dobriskey, who won the 1500 metres at the Melbourne Games in 2006, has been troubled by a leg injury.

The Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell said overnight the two-week event, starting on October the 4th, has been seriously compromised by the sub-standard conditions at the Games village which have "shocked the majority".