Team England to move into CWG village

After avoiding the Commonwealth Games Village for over two days, the English delegation is all set to move into the campus on Sunday.

A group of around 20 support staff will be the first occupants of the accommodation to ensure that conditions continue to be on track for 48 athletes from the sports of hockey (32), lawn bowls (12) and shooting (4) to move in on Monday.

They will be followed by gymnasts (10), archers (12) and weightlifters (14) on Tuesday, a statement released by the Commonwealth Games England press office said.

England Chef de Mission Craig Hunter said, "It's exciting but also a relief to be able to occupy our accommodation.

"We are now getting back on track with the planned and phased arrival of athletes and we will begin to reach a peak of team numbers (more than 500) on October 5."

He said there is still a lot more to do to be ready for that peak but he would like to pay tribute to their support team staff "who have worked sometimes literally around the clock to get everything in place and safe for the first athletes' arrival."

Hunter said, "It has been a challenging experience but one which will make us (England team) stronger as we strive to be successful now on the field of play."

England accounce CWG women's hockey squad

Hoping to improve upon the bronze medal-winning performance fours years ago in Melbourne, England has named a 16-member women's hockey squad for the upcoming Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Women's hockey was introducd in 1998. England has two Commonwealth Games silver medals (1998 and 2002) and won a bronze in 2006 since hockey's introduction in the Games and the English eves will be hoping to make it four medals in a row.

Defenders Kate Walsh, captain four years ago, Helen Richardson, Chloe Rogers, Beth Storry and Alex Danson are the survivors in the team from the bronze medal winning side in Melbourne.

England, however, had to drop two players from its World Cup squad starting later this month in Rosario, Argentina.

England Hockey head coach Danny Kerry said, "This has been a tough selection demonstrating the growing depth of the squad. We need to follow up our bronze medal in the Champions' Trophy last month with a strong performance in the World Cup and then step up again for the Commonwealth Games. This squad has the quality to handle the challenge."

The English eves have been grouped alongside New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago in Pool B while Pool A consists of defending champions Australia, hosts India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Scotland.

England women's hockey squad: Ashleigh Ball, Charlotte Craddock, Christie Cullen, Alex Danson, Susie Gilbert, Hannah Macleod, Helen Richardson, Chloe Rogers, Natalie Seymour, Beth Storry, Georgina Twigg, Laura Unsworth, Kate Walsh, Sally Walton, Nicola White, Kerry Williams.

England release probables list for CWG Rugby

England have named an initial 17-man training squad preparing to take part in the Rugby Sevens at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi (October 11-12).

The experienced group features 13 players who appeared in the IRB Sevens World Series last season, including world record points scorer Ben Gollings, the sole survivor from Melbourne 2006 when England were silver medallists.

The squad includes five players who have featured on the UR7s backed National Seven Series; Dan Norton (Samurai) John Brake (Samurai), Simon Hunt (Samurai), Alex Cheesman (GB Students), and uncapped Miles Mantella (White Hart Marauders).

Seven of the group were in the teams that clinched memorable wins at Wellington and the London Sevens in 2009.

The intensive 12-week training programme – based at the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey and the Lensbury Club in Teddington – includes England’s first ever appearance at the Middlesex Sevens playing as a Help For Heroes side on August 14.

Head coach Ben Ryan will work with additional players before the final team is nominated in September and England then go to New Delhi where the Sevens event takes place on October 11 and 12. They face Australia, Namibia and Sri Lanka in the pool stages.

“I’m very pleased with this initial training squad and we’ll also look at more players during the build-up before we nominate our team,” said Ryan.

“We’ve got experience, we’ve got youth and we have the expertise of taking part in big competitions. It gives us the backbone you need to bring through some exciting young players."

Fitter & Faster

“This is the longest time we’ve ever had together and with that comes greater understanding and the ability to train to play in different ways against different teams and within individual games.

“It will also have a great impact on our conditioning. Sevens players are specialised athletes and our aim is to be fitter, faster and in better shape than we’ve ever been.

“We’ve made great strides in applying new technology to what we’re doing and we work in partnership with bodies like UK Sport to make sure we are pushing back the boundaries in terms of our physical, technical and tactical preparation.

"Learning from others and creating synergy with other sports is very important to us and we’re looking forward to being an integral part of the England team at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, then in Glasgow in 2014 and as part of the build-up to Rugby Sevens inclusion in the Olympics in 2016.

“The objective for these players now is to get selected and then to deliver for a winning England team at the Commonwealth Games.

"There will big guns in New Delhi like New Zealand, who have won three gold medals since Rugby Sevens was introduced to the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, which means we’re certainly not going to be the favourites.
"But we believe and trust in the players selected and that our preparation will be right going to Delhi so that we’ll be in the best possible shape when we’re on the start line."


Commonwealth Games Training Group:

Greg Barden (Royal Navy), Kevin Barrett (Saracens), John Brake, Dan Caprice, Alex Cheesman (Oxford University)
Chris Cracknell, Isoa Damudamu (British Army), Ben Gollings, Simon Hunt (Birmingham and Solihull), Ollie Lindsay-Hague (Harlequins)*, Miles Mantella (Harlequins), Dan Norton (Bristol Rugby), Tom Powell, James Rodwell, Nick Royle, Mathew Turner, Christian Wade (London Wasps)


Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens, October 11-12

Pool A: New Zealand, Scotland, Canada, Guyana
Pool B: South Africa, Wales, Tonga, India
Pool C: Samoa, Kenya, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
Pool D: England, Australia, Namibia, Sri Lanka

Amir Khan's brother may represent Pakistan

World champion Amir Khan's brother Haroon will fight for Pakistan at the Commonwealth Games after being overlooked by the English authorities. This comes in wake of rejection by English Boxing association, and is possible because Haroon holds both Pakistani and British citizenship.

"There's no future for him representing England as they've got their podium squad and development squad, and he's not even on that," said Shah Khan, Amir's and Haroon's father.

Speaking ahead of his elder son Amir's fight with Paulie Malignaggi in New York on Saturday, Khan said the Pakistan authorities had taken a look at his younger son and were happy to have him as part of their programme for October's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Haroon, 19, says he has been forced to abandon his dream of emulating his big brother by fighting for Britain at the 2012 Olympics because the England selectors refuse to consider him. The bantamweight, who was the 2009 junior ABA champion, has dual British-Pakistani nationality and is excited about representing his father's homeland at the Games in New Delhi in October.

"I really wanted to box for Britain at the Olympics ever since Amir won silver in Athens," said Haroon, who has won 61 of his 67 fights. "I looked at what he did and dreamt of going one better.

"But I've never had a look-in with the senior England squad, not even a letter. What used to happen was when I was a junior, they would call me up a week before an international and ask if I could box.

Haroon is contemplating not to represent Pakistan at London Olympics, and his desire is limited to only Commonwealth Games.

England release first list of swimmers for CWG

Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and world champions Liam Tancock and Gemma Spofforth have all been selected to represent England at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

The trio are among a 29-strong swimming team who will travel to India for the Games which take place from October 3 to 14 but a notable absentee at this point is Olympic and world medallist Joanne Jackson, whose ongoing health problems have decimated her season so far.

The 23-year-old's training has been pretty much obliterated by the severe asthma brought on by flu and a chest infection.

(Click here to see list of British swimmers for Commonwealth Games.)

As a result of having to breathe so much harder, Jackson's ribs have been popping out during training and at the recent British Gas Championships in Sheffield, which served as the first Commonwealth trials as well as GB selection for the European Championships in Budapest in August, the Loughborough swimmer was unable to speak after the 200metres freestyle final in which she came third.

Jackson then withdrew from the 800m and did not take up her place in the 400m final, won by Adlington.

By virtue of her efforts over four lengths, Jackson booked at least a relay spot on the 4x200m freestyle relay squad for Budapest and she has two more chances to qualify for Delhi.

Other notable names for Delhi include world 100m freestyle silver medallist Fran Halsall, double world backstroke finalist Lizzie Simmonds, who has been on scorching form this year, Keri-Anne Payne, world open water champion who will focus on the pool and Achieng Ajulu-Bushell who has been selected for England for the first time after deciding to switch sporting nationality from Kenya.

Up-and-coming swimmers Aimee Wilmott and Rebecca Turner will also travel to Delhi.

Tancock heads the men's team as he looks to claim the 50m and 100m backstroke double after taking silver and gold four years ago along with Simon Burnett and Ross Davenport, who each won double gold in Melbourne.

The likes of James Goddard, 200m backstroke champion eight years ago in Manchester, will be joined by highly-rated prospects Roberto Pavoni, Robert Bale and Adam Brown, who all won in Sheffield recently.

Craig Hunter, chef de mission of the England team in Delhi, said: "I'd like to welcome our first group of swimmers to the England team for Delhi and wish them the very best in their continuing preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games."

John Atkinson, England's swimming team leader, said: "The swimmers selected for the England team can now begin their preparations for Delhi in earnest. For the others that didn't meet the qualification criteria there are still 13 places available on the team.

"Having an early trials will give the selected swimmers the chance to have a longer preparations and the later trials gives those swimmers that are hitting form later in the year a chance to make the team," he added.

"I look forward to seeing the performances at our later trials as the athletes try to qualify for the Games."

A further 13 swimmers can earn selection at the European Championships in August and the British Gas ASA National Championships in Sunderland.

There have been security concerns surrounding the Games following a number of incidents in India, the most recent at the weekend when the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians was delayed due to two bomb explosions outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

Of the security issues, Adlington has complete faith in the team bosses.

She told "They send us out emails all the time about security and I think if any individual swimmer has a real concern we raise that issue with the bosses and go to them directly.

"At the minute we are still planning on going and will still hopefully be able to compete but if anything happens in the meantime just straight away they would pull out because they have got our best interests at heart and they want us to do well as well.

"They are on top of it so we leave it in their hands."

CWG Netball: 12 countries confirm participation

Twelve nations, including defending champion New Zealand, Australia and England, have confirmed participation in the netball competition of this year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

"The International Federation of Netball Associations and the Commonwealth Games Federation have confirmed that the following nations have accepted the invitation to participate in the netball competition in the Delhi Commonwealth Games in October this year," the CGF said in a statement.

The competition will take place at the renovated Thyagaraj Stadium, which is solar powered and is India's first green venue. The Games are scheduled October 3 to 14.

In Melbourne Commonwealth Games, Australia had won the silver while England had settled for bronze.

The competition will consist of two pools of six teams playing each other in a round-robin format with the two leading teams in each pool advancing to the finals.

CWG England sees no reason to pullout

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."

Hockey World cup: Pool B: 6-Mar-2010

England have emerged stars amongst 6 team in Pool B of 2010 Hockey World Cup, while India was third team to be eliminated of the group after South Africa and Pakistan.

England scored their fourth straight win. The team has secured all 12 points from four matches.

The second semi final spot is all but decided with Aussies booking the berth.

The standings after third leg of league matches is as follows:

Hockey World Cup: England vs Pakistan

England take on Pakistan in this crucial league game of 2010 Hockey World Cup. With stellar performance in last 2 shows, England are clear favorites.


WATCH India vs Spain Hockey World Cup match LIVE.

Pakistan will be looking to win this match to stay in contention for knock out stage.

Half time score: England 2:0 Pakistan

Full time score: England 5:2 Pakistan

With England taking clear lead in the group, there is a crowding happening for second spot. India and Spain have to fight out in their encounter today. Watch India vs Spain LIVE.

Watch live video on Commonwealth Games 2010

Hockey World Cup: England defeats South Africa

England recorded their second successive win in the men's field hockey World Cup (FIH) with a 6-4 thriller against South Africa on Tuesday.

Click here: Watch India vs Australia live.

The European champions, who had stunned hot favourites Australia in their first match, edged past the South Africans in a game where both sides suffered defensive lapses.

Richard Mantell scored two penalty corners, while Rob Moore, Ashley Jackson, Nick Catlin and Iain Mackay chipped in with a goal each for England.

Marvin Harper scored twice for South Africa, and Lloyd Norris-Jones and Thornton McDade netted one each.

The first 25 minutes produced four goals as South Africa and England took turns to take the lead, before the two sides took the break deadlocked at 2-2.

England scored thrice in quick succession when play resumed to make it 5-2, before Harper reduced the margin for the Africans. Two more goals ensued -- one from either side -- before the final whistle.

It was the first time in World Cup history that England pumped in six goals in a single match. They had scored five against Pakistan in 1998, but still lost the match as their rivals netted seven.

"Scoring six goals means a lot and I am happy with the win, but we were not consistent enough," said England captain Barry Middleton.

"We should have played well throughout the 70 minutes, but we did not do that against the South Africans. Our defence was not up to the mark.

"We have a tough game against Pakistan on Thursday and really need to work on our game," he said.

South African captain Austin Smith said his team made the same mistakes as they did in the 2-4 loss against Spain.

"We competed well in the first half and I was delighted with the 2-2 scoreline," said Smith. "But we let ourselves down in the second half.

"England were very good after the break and scored too many goals. We were left chasing the equaliser which was not easy against a quality team like England."

CWG Delhi 2010: Adidas to sponsor team England

Commonwealth Games England today announced sportswear manufacturer adidas as their official clothing partner for the much anticipated 2010 Games to be held in Delhi this October.

The Commonwealth Games is a unique opportunity for English athletes to compete as a nation at a multi-sport event on the world stage, and is broadcast extensively around the world.

The appointment of one of the world’s great sporting brands supporting the England Team is a tremendous vote of confidence for the athletes heading off to Delhi.

England will be sending their largest ever team to an overseas Games, with almost 400 athletes making the trip as they hope to make the Games one of their most successful ever.

Sir Andrew Foster, Chair of Commonwealth Games England commented, “The partnership with adidas is fantastic news. By providing our athletes with such a top quality clothing partner it really sets the stall for the standards we want to achieve in Delhi, and gives us the best possible chance of success”.

Robin Money, Head of Sports Marketing, adidas UK & Ireland said, “adidas has a long heritage in supplying teams at major sporting events and is proud that almost 400 athletes of the England Team will receive the very best bespoke team apparel delegation wear for Delhi 2010”.

Commonwealth Games Federation warns England against pullout

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell has warned that London 2012 will suffer if England do not send at team to Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010. He further went ahead and blamed their concerns on western snobbery.

Amidst conflicting reports regarding England's participation in Delhi Commonwealth Games, last month it was reported that senior Whitehall officials had said there was ‘virtually no chance' of England sending a team to the Commonwealth Games in October because of the security risk in Delhi.

The issue of terrorist threats was sharply brought into view earlier this month after the gunfire attack on the Togo national football team in Angola on the eve of the African Cup of Nations.

The Indian sub-continent has not been immune to such attacks resulting in England feeling forced to withdraw from the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad, India last year. The decision to pull out of the World Badminton Championships was a major mistake. The tournament was a success. The only people who lost were the athletes who were prevented from participating. Later Badminton England apologized for raising concerns during World Badminton Championships.

Fennell even hinted that problems in India are looked differently than if the same is to occur in certain other countries. There are certain perceptions.

"A country that wants to host an event should think how other people will then view the security risks in their own country. The fact is there is always a security risk.

"Everybody has to make their own decisions but if you don't go I suggest you don't travel anywhere in the world.

While security risks persist in Delhi, preparations for the Games have been tumultuous to say the least. The venues, most notably the showpiece Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, are reportedly behind schedule with Indian press reporting it would take a miracle for the capital to be ready to stage the Games.

Meanwhile Delhi 2010 organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi called for the head of CGF chief executive Mike Hooper after the New Zealander recommending international aid to speed up the stuttering preparations.

Fennell said: "That was damaging to the extent that certain things that should have been done were delayed because of personality clashes, but we have overcome that now.

"Having a contingency like moving the Games to another country is virtually impossible at such short notice. There would be a huge cost. The plan A and contingency is to get Delhi right and secure enough for all participants and stakeholders.

"We monitor the situation very closely and we can go very late. We've had Games in the past, like the Olympics in Athens, where people were very nervous right up until a month before.

"The Commonwealth Games in Manchester had problems right up to the end but they turned out to be excellent. Organising a multisport Games is a very complex issue. It's all systems go and we want everything signed off by the end of August."

Fennell remained adamant however that the Commonwealth Games would not suffer as much as England would, should they opt against competing.

"The Games would proceed and the bigger blow would be to the English athletes," he added.

Oz missing from Commonwealth Boxing Championship

India is hosting Commonwealth Boxing Championship in Delhi in Mar 2010 in preparations for 2010 Commonwealth Games. The tournament was scheduled in 2009 but was postponed due to lack of venue readiness.

However, the games received a setback as Australia decided to pull out of the tournament.

The IBF is still awaiting confirmation from Canada while Australia has turned down the invitation citing previous commitments.

"Australia regretted not being able to participate due to prior commitments and didn't specify anything else. We are awaiting confirmation from Canada and hopefully it will come soon," Raja said.

"All the remaining top Commonwealth nations are coming. So, we expect a tough competition," he added.

The CW Boxing Championship would present a massive challenge for Indian pugilists as they brace up to square off against glovesmen from 13 nations despite Australia's pull-out.

Close to 120 boxers are expected to participate in the event at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, which is still undergoing renovation for the Commonwealth Games in October

India, which won a gold, two silver and six bronze medals in the fifth edition, will host boxers from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Mauritius, kenya, Samoa and Singapore.

The event will be the first to feature boxers in the new weight categories announced last year. The AIBA reshuffled the divisions to abolish featherweight (57kg) and increase the bantam weight from 54kg to 56kg

2005 Commonwealth Championship and the 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar, also an Olympian, said India can look forward to best-ever results in the event this time

"The team has not yet been selected but I can tell you, the results are going to be excellent. All the boxers have trained very hard and we will get a good haul of medals," he said

The Indian team for the event would be selected on the basis of the boxers' performance in this month's Super Cup and the trials to be held a couple of weeks ahead of the Championships.

"The Super Cup would allow us to identify upcoming names and during the trials, those who do not participate in Super Cup will get their chance to prove their worth," Raja said.

Air Balloon ride for Queen's Baton at Twickenham

The Queen's Baton got its first experience of air travel when a trapeze artist, suspended from a heliosphere (air balloon) carried it around the packed Twickenham Stadium, venue of the England-Australia rugby international on Saturday. It was the last day of its stay in England during its epic journey.

After the trapeze artist held the baton and made the crowd hold its breath with her daredevilry, it was carried around the stadium by four English Rugby 7s players and received an enthusiastic reception from the 80,000 spectators.

Sgt Paul Davies of the 2nd battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusili held it when the teams lined up for the National Anthems. Earlier, before the crowd came into the stadium, the Australian players showed much curiosity in the baton that is a blend of hand-crafted design and modern technology.

Earlier, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II placed message to the athletes of the Commonwealth in the baton and handed it over to India's President Patil.

The baton has traveled to Manchester, Cannock, Sheffield, Droitwich, Birmingham, London and Newham where the venues for the Olympic Games 2012 are coming up before moving to Twickenham.

The baton is now due to move from England to Wales on its 190,000 km journey around the Commonwealth, spreading the message of the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, the host city's majestic heritage and India's fascinating potential as a sporting, tourist and investment destination.

Commonwealth Games Federation and Queen praise QBR

Commonwealth Games Federation and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II have congratulated 2010 Delhi CWG Organizing Committee for the successful launch of the Queen's Baton Relay in London.

"It was both a colorful and impressive event and I know that it was enjoyed by all who took part. It was certainly a wonderful way for Her Majesty and India's president Patil to mark the end of the President's State Visit to the United Kingdom," the Queen said.

On Saturday, the Baton will travel to Twickenham, where England and Australia will play a rugby match before 60,000 spectators. The baton will then travel to Wales as part of its 190,000 kilometer journey.

Commonwealth Games England's new BRAND identity

The England team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games has called in Threepipe Sport to launch its new brand identity. Commonwealth Games England has also asked Threepipe to raise awareness of the sponsorship opportunities around Team England, as they prepare for Delhi 2010.

Threepipe will help to raise consumer awareness of the new Team England brand positioning and logo, which was recently redesigned by Corporate Edge and was due to be officially unveiled this week.

The agency will attempt to use social and digital media to engage sports fans and young people directly.

In seeking to raise awareness of the new range of commercial sponsorship opportunities around Team England, Threepipe Sport will offer brands a chance to be -associated with a national sporting property in the build up to Delhi 2010, the last major multi-sport event to take place before London 2012.

In the early part of the activity, Threepipe Sport will help to raise awareness and excitement around the Queen’s Baton Relay, the traditional forerunner to each Commonwealth Games.

Monty Panesar to participate in Queen's Baton Relay

England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar's Indian roots have earned him the honour of being a part of the October 29 Queen's Baton Relay to launch next year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Panesar's former agent Vic Sethi, who is a member of the UK launch arm of the organising committee, said the left-armer was chosen to add an Indian flavour to the much-awaited ceremony at the Buckingham Palace.

"We thought that someone from the UK was needed because the Queen, the head of the Commonwealth is British; we needed a link to India. I think Monty was perfect because he is one of the first British Sikh sports stars to wear the turban and the full beard," Sethi was quoted as saying by the local media.

The baton will be carried from the palace on an international journey before finally touching down Delhi next year.

CWG: England targets #1 spot by 2014

England Commonwealth Games chairman Sir Andrew Foster has set a target for England to regain its glory at Commonwealth Games. He insists it is high time England ended Australia's medal table dominance.

Australia have dominated the medal table since 1990, and finished the 2006 Melbourne Games with 84 golds, more than twice as many as England. While setting the target, Sir Andrew clarifies that Delhi may come too soon and England will be on top at Glasgow in 2014.

With Olympic Games, Rugby World Cup, Cricket World Cup and Ryder Cup coming to UK in the next decade, and England favourites to secure the 2018 FIFA World Cup; it is fair to say the Commonwealth Games will be fighting for the headlines.

The Commonwealth Games has traditionally played second fiddle to the Olympic Games in Great Britain - with Team GB's 19 golds in Beijing far outweighing England's 36 in Melbourne. But Sir Andrew maintains that Commonwealth Games England are more than capable of holding their own and securing commercial backing to ensure future success. GB sports have done a lot of work on remodelling and the level of interest from potential commercial sponsors is reassuring. Foster points out that sponsors see the fact that you can run from Delhi to London to Glasgow - and having a number of events feels like a positive to them rather than a hindrance.

BE apologizes for pullout from Badminton championship

The English Badminton federation has offered apology to India for pulling out of the World Badminton Championship held in Hyderabad from August 10 to 16, following perceived security threat. The same was communicated by British Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe to his Indian counterpart M.S. Gill.

The apology is being seen as a moral victory for India. India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram had then said that England’s decision had left him “burning inside”, since it seemed to question India’s capacity to provide adequate security to visiting sports team.

A Sports Ministry official said Sutcliffe called Gill on Friday and assured him of England’s support when Delhi hosts the Commonwealth Games next year. Adrian Christy, chief executive of Badminton England (BE) said the English shuttlers are looking forward to visiting India in 2010 for the Commonwealth Games.