48 athletes get late reprieves after administrative errors

Flags fly in Glasgow ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Greg Bowker

Administrative oversights are given as one reason 48 athletes have been given a late reprieve for the Commonwealth Games.

The Games federation has allowed athletes from Kenya, Jamaica, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, Australia, Ghana and the Bahamas to compete, even though their entries arrived well past the June 11 deadline.

Australian officials tonight refused to identity their athlete who is among the 48. That has led to speculation that it may be a high-profile athlete. Or it may be a desire not to tarnish their ceremony tonight at which cyclist Anna Meares was named Australia's flag bearer of the opening ceremony early on Thursday NZT.

The New Zealand flag bearer will be announced tomorrow morning.

Officials from the eight countries sought special dispensation from the Commonwealth Games Federation, who in turn took a lenient view.

"The CGF executive board took the view that wherever possible athletes should not suffer because of the failings of their administrators," CGF president Prince Imran of Malaysia said.

"But we also had to ensure that the extra numbers could be accommodated at this very late stage within the existing complex operations and schedules, and without unfairly impact on those properly entered."

However there was a warning for countries' administrators in their future conduct, although how strictly that is enforced may be another matter for organisers of the so-called Friendly Games.

''These situations must be avoided in the future. There is an on-going review of the sports programme which will culminate at our general assembly next year in Auckland.

''The CGF board will, as part of that process, look at imposing sanctions against those Commonwealth Games Associations who fail to meet important deadlines that impact on the Games' operations and their own athletes,'' the Prince said.

Wednesday's general assembly will be the last for the organisation's long standing chief executive New Zealander Mike Hooper.