Afro-Asian Games postponed indefinitely

The first Afro-Asian Games, planned for New Delhi, have been postponed indefinitely, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said on Tuesday.

The federal cabinet, which met on Monday, felt the government was not in a position to give the go-ahead for the Games, said Kalmadi.

"It is indefinitely postponed. The cabinet discussed it and felt as of now there is no question of the Games," Kalmadi said.

The Games were originally scheduled for November 3-11 but a federal cabinet committee on security decided to postpone them two days after the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

The IOA then suggested that the Games be held from March 24 to April 2 next year and requested that the government clear the new dates.

But the government has now postponed the event indefinitely.

Randhir Singh, secretary-general of the Indian and Asian Olympic bodies, attacked the decision.

"This is the worst thing to happen to Indian sports. At this rate India will lose credibility at the international level," said Singh.

Kalmadi said Sports Minister Uma Bharti had informed him about the cabinet stance in the light of the security situation in the region.

"The government has said that all infrastructure be completed but it decided all committees set up for the Games will not function," Kalmadi said.

The Games have been plagued by uncertainty from the outset, with critics attacking the mounting costs and prospects of low-key participation.

Kalmadi said the latest postponement did not mean the Games would never be held but added: "As it stands, it looks like a long-drawn thing."

The Games were to have featured athletics, boxing, field hockey, soccer, shooting, swimming, tennis and weightlifting.

The South Asian Games in Islamabad and the West Asian Games in Kuwait, both originally scheduled for next month, have also been postponed because of the tension which has built up in the region since the attacks on the United States.