A statement from the Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) said: "Australia is planning to send a full team of over 600 athletes, coaches, managers, medicos and officials.

"The team will be the largest ever to compete in an overseas Commonwealth Games campaign with the first round of team nominations including the provisional selection of eight track and field athletes, including world champions Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels."

Hooker is one of the rising stars of world athletics, having won the Olympic pole vault title in Beijing last year with a Games record of 6.06 metres, while Samuels became the youngest ever female discus thrower to be crowned world champion in Berlin earlier this year.

Perry Crosswhite, the chief executive of the ACGA, claimed not a single athlete has raised any security concerns about travelling to India.

He said: "To date the questions have been about the weather predictions and the sports venues, and, of course, what the food and the Village are going to be like."

Crosswhite was delighted to discover that the reports in The Daily Telegraph that England would boycott the Games were false.

He said: "I am very pleased to hear that England has confirmed that it will send a full team Delhi.

"Australia is looking forward to renewing the traditional England-Australia rivalry at the Indian hosted Commonwealth Games and I expect that the competition as to which nation will win the most medals will be closer than ever.

"It is indeed unfortunate that such prominence has been given to a media report, particularly as the source was unnamed.

"Having returned from Delhi several weeks ago where I received a substantial briefing on security measures both planned and in place for the Games, I believe that those responsible for Games security in Delhi are doing everything they can to ensure a successful Games."


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