November 23 - India has admitted today that at least two venues being built for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year will miss their deadlines by at least three months, which will rise international fears that the capital will not be ready in time for the event which is due to start next October.

 

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is in charge of building the venues at Siri Fort Complex, which will host badminton and squash, and the Yamuna Sports Complex, due to stage archery and table tennis, have now adjusted the dates that they will be ready from December until next March.

 

Embarrassingly for the Indian Government, the admission comes less than a week after Urban Development Minister, Jaipal Reddy, promised that the venues would be completed on time.

 

The matter will be high on the agenda when the Commonwealth Games Federation Coordination Commission makes its latest visit to New Delhi on December 14.

 

Officials now hope that they can get the Yamuna Sports Complex ready in time for the archery test event on March 7.

 

A spokesman for the DDA said: "The YSC is expected to be complete by February so that the test event can be held there."

 

Even then the DDA is expected to still be finishing the venues, including landscaping.

 

But they insist that the Commonwealth Games are not in danger.

 

A spokesman said: "The venues will be complete with plenty of time left for the organising committee to get the stadia ready for the Games.''

 

 

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