India plays down security concerns

India on Monday played down security concerns over the upcoming Commonwealth Games and other international events in the country after a weekend scare that saw explosions at a cricket stadium.

Eight people were injured in minor blasts on Saturday outside the 40,000-seater Chinnaswamy Stadium in the southern city of Bangalore, hours before an Indian Premier League (IPL) match was to begin.

The match, featuring foreign stars including England's Kevin Pietersen and South Africa's Jacques Kallis, went ahead after a small delay, but two other crude bombs were later defused near the stadium on Sunday.

India is to host the Commonwealth Games in October this year and the cricket World Cup with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in February-April 2011 amid ongoing concern about security on the subcontinent.

“Our foreign guests are happy with the assurances of our government about security,” Lalit Bhanot, secretary-general of the Commonwealth Games organising committee, told reporters.

There were fears that teams would pull out of the World Cup for field hockey in February and March this year because of the risk of attacks, but the event passed off smoothly under an extremely heavy police presence. Officials have shifted the two IPL semifinals, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, from Bangalore to Mumbai after the weekend blasts even though police officials in Bangalore promised extra security.

Indian cricket board spokesman Rajiv Shukla said the Bangalore blasts will not affect the cricket World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by India. “There is no danger to the World Cup just because the IPL games have been shifted,” Shukla told reporters, adding the showpiece tournament was still a year away.

Australian Commonwealth Games chief Perry Crosswhite had said on Sunday the Bangalore blasts were not direct threats to the Games.

Crosswhite said he had not been contacted by any athletes expressing concerns that the blasts would deter them from competing in New Delhi.

“These things continue to happen and they will continue all the way to the Games, but (security experts) don't see it as a direct threat to the Games,” Crosswhite told reporters in Perth.

“It's just another example of unrest in the country and that part of the world and no one has claimed any responsibility.

But on Monday Kieran Perkins, the former Australian swimming great who plans to visit New Delhi as a trade envoy, voiced concerns about security.

“I've got family, I've got kids and I'm not going to be risking my life for a sporting event,” he said.

“At this point I'm going, but I won't be making any certain decisions until very close to the event.

Australian swimmers Leisel Jones and Jessicah Schipper have already told their families to stay at home.

In February, the Hong Kong-based Asia Times online news website had reported that it had received a warning from Al-Qaeda-linked militant Ilyas Kashmiri about attacking sports events in India.