New security threat looms Semenya out with back injury NEW DELHI - The Commonwealth Games Federation quelled a brewing diplomatic feud over the opening of the New Delhi event by saying Tuesday that both Prince Charles and Indian President Pratibha Patil will essentially have the honor. With Queen Elizabeth II skipping the Oct. 3-14 event - the first Commonwealth Games she's missed since 1966 - the prince is scheduled to speak on his mother's behalf at Sunday's opening ceremony. The federation said in a statement the prince “will read The Queen's message, which ends with the opening of the Games.” In the next sentence, things become slightly ambiguous. “The president of India will then deliver her address and signal the commencement of the games,” the federation said. Although Prince Charles will be the ranking member of commonwealth at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, many Indians feel Patil should be the one to officially inaugurate the Games in the absence of the queen. After media reports started debating who should open the games, the prince's office, Clarence House, issued a statement Monday saying there was no feud. “There is no row. Both the Prince of Wales and the president of India will have a prominent role in the opening ceremony in Delhi,” Clarence House said. “We cannot be specific about the choreography, but the prince will read out the Queen's baton message, ending by declaring the games open.” Patil's office did not want to comment on the matter. Authorities also scrambled to ensure a court ruling due Thursday over ownership of a disputed religious site did not spark violence. England and Canadian team officials told Reuters they had advised their athletes not to go outside the Games Village, where some 8,000 athletes and team members will stay during the Oct. 3-14 multi-sports event. Security has been beefed up across Delhi, with commandos placed outside key locations, including luxury hotels. Hundreds of athletes arrived in New Delhi for the Games - 850 were expected Tuesday - and moving into the athletes' village, which was described last week as filthy and uninhabitable. New Zealand, which had delayed its arrival in India until the village was cleaned up, sent its first athletes into their living quarters Sunday night - two days later than planned. “Obviously, there's been a bit of work go in over the past few days, but as far as we're concerned, it's fine,” New Zealand lawn bowling coach Dave Edwards said. “There's a little bit of dust and some poor finishing with plaster and paint and things like that, but we're very happy with what we've got.” Some of the buildings still had leaks in them, and there was still water in some basements, according to New Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who took charge of the work at the athletes' village last week. The New Delhi police Tuesday said security forces have fully taken over the venues for the Commonwealth Games. Organizers were also working to shield visitors from one of India's most enduring problems: poverty. Many of this city's beggars have been arrested or forced from the streets, migrants have been rousted, and thousands of homes hidden from sight. South Africa's Olympic committee said Caster Semenya will miss the Commonwealth Games in India because of a back injury. Another top athlete also withdrew from the games Tuesday. Cypriot high jumper Kyriakos Iannou, who won the silver medal at last year's world championships in Berlin, pulled out of the competition “for strictly personal reasons,” Cyprus Olympic Committee director Olga Piperidou said. Some high-profile athletes withdrew due to health and safety concerns.
