Commonwealth Games England president Dame Kelly Holmes has criticised the British athletes who want to skip the October 3-14 mega-event fearing safety concerns, and said with positive security reports trickling in from Delhi she sees no reason for any pull out.
Holmes, the 2004 double Olympic gold medallist, cited the reports of an assessment team that visited the Indian capital to take stalk of the security situation and said the findings did not suggest pull out.
"I'm disappointed to say that hasn't abated and for some reason a few athletes have said they don't want to compete because of security concerns," Holmes was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.
"We have a security team out in Delhi that are giving us regular reports and we haven't had one single report to suggest that we should be pulling out at this stage," she said.
Holmes, 39, viewed the Commonwealth Games as a stepping stone to the Olympics during her career but, as October's Games draw nearer, is astonished that more potential medal winners have also withdrawn over scheduling commitments.
Holmes's brief as president is to modernise the appeal and public perception of the Games but the withdrawals of Kelly Sotherton, Jessica and Phillips Idowu are a blow to England's medal chances in Delhi.
In Melbourne three years ago, Australia won 84 gold while England came away with 36 top podium medals.
Last week chef de mission Craig Hunter confirmed that England would "categorically" be sending a team of 560 athletes to Delhi to compete across 17 sports.
Hunter, who recently led a five-man delegation to visit every venue in the Indian capital, said: "Individuals will be able to decide if they wish to go, for whatever reason, and we will respect personal choices. But the competitions out there will be very important for many athletes ahead of 2012."
Holmes, the 2004 double Olympic gold medallist, cited the reports of an assessment team that visited the Indian capital to take stalk of the security situation and said the findings did not suggest pull out.
"I'm disappointed to say that hasn't abated and for some reason a few athletes have said they don't want to compete because of security concerns," Holmes was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph.
"We have a security team out in Delhi that are giving us regular reports and we haven't had one single report to suggest that we should be pulling out at this stage," she said.
Holmes, 39, viewed the Commonwealth Games as a stepping stone to the Olympics during her career but, as October's Games draw nearer, is astonished that more potential medal winners have also withdrawn over scheduling commitments.
Holmes's brief as president is to modernise the appeal and public perception of the Games but the withdrawals of Kelly Sotherton, Jessica and Phillips Idowu are a blow to England's medal chances in Delhi.
In Melbourne three years ago, Australia won 84 gold while England came away with 36 top podium medals.
Last week chef de mission Craig Hunter confirmed that England would "categorically" be sending a team of 560 athletes to Delhi to compete across 17 sports.
Hunter, who recently led a five-man delegation to visit every venue in the Indian capital, said: "Individuals will be able to decide if they wish to go, for whatever reason, and we will respect personal choices. But the competitions out there will be very important for many athletes ahead of 2012."
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