Kiwi athletes will compete in Delhi

New Zealand says its athletes will compete in the Commonwealth Games, after seeing "significant progress" in addressing a series of problems that have dogged the event from the outset.But Australia's Olympic chief said Friday that India should never have been awarded the competition.

Reuters

As New Delhi rushed to fix problems that have caused many athletes to withdraw from the competition, Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates said it was obvious that the venues in the Indian capital were not ready for the Games, which begin in nine days.

He said the Commonwealth Games Federation is under-resourced and does not have the ability to monitor the progress of host cities in the way the Olympic Committee does.

New Delhi, which is preparing to host thousands of athletes, has also been dealing concerns over security and the state of accommodation.

Coates said he hoped the games would be a success, but refused to comment on whether Australia or other teams should withdraw from the competition.

Meanwhile, New Zealand's Games chief Mike Stanley said that although hygiene concerns remained, he was confident that they would be addressed before the event begins on 3 October.

"What we found was inexcusable and unacceptable, but we've seen a change in leadership and this is positive," he said.

New Zealand has been among the most vocal critics of unsanitary conditions documented in the athletes' living quarters. Stanley echoed his Australian counterpart's remarks, saying "there has to be some criticism made of the Commonwealth Games Federation for letting this situation develop."