Wellington (New Zealand), Sept.20 (ANI): Prime Minister John Key has expressed confidence about New Zealand's athletes attending the XIXth Commonwealth Games in Delhi, despite Sunday's shooting of two Taiwanese tourists in the Indian capital.
"We are providing the best advice we can to the New Zealand Olympic Committee who have to make that decision by September 24 whether to travel to Delhi or not. I understand there has been extensive work looking through the Commonwealth Games Village... and other security areas," the New Zealand Herald quoted Key, as saying.
"One always takes these things seriously but we are also very hopeful that the Commonwealth Games will proceed, that New Zealand will go and do very well," he added.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee, which prepares and is responsible for the safety of the team, said it was seeking further information on the shooting that left two Taiwanese injured, three days before the first athletes are due to arrive for the Commonwealth Games.
Gunmen on a motorbike opened fire with an automatic pistol on a tourist bus outside New Delhi's main mosque on Sunday, injuring the tourists, police said.
The Commonwealth Games start on October 3, with 7000 foreign athletes and offices are expected in the Indian capital amid ongoing concerns about security from participating nations.
New Zealand team chef de mission Dave Currie is in Delhi doing final checks on security and other planning.
He is yet to commit to New Zealand attending the Games, which have been dogged with security and infrastructure concerns.
Currie was due to complete his reconnaissance mission this week.
"We're working on the premise the Games are going to go ahead, and we'll be part of it," he told Radio New Zealand.
Games athletes will live and compete inside an intense security cordon, which Currie said "appears to be working very well".
Athletes' Federation boss Rob Nichol said today the latest attack was not surprising.
"It's important to remain reasonably calm and continue to have a it of faith in the process," he said
"It's definitely concerning, but it's not something that should necessarily result in a 180 degree shift," he told Radio New Zealand.
Nichol said it was too soon for him to say whether he thought the team should go to India.
"We always plan and ask questions around the worst-case scenario, because the reality is Delhi and India are at high risk of terrorist attack and there is a Commonwealth Games being staged there.
"If the athletes are going to go and if the games are going to go ahead then you have to have security measures in place."
New Zealand has been operating alongside Britain, Australia and Canada in assessing how well Delhi is prepared to host the Games.
It is likely any decision on whether to attend or not would be made by a group of countries, rather than unilaterally. (ANI)
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