Delhi Games security move 'illogical'

The NZOC says the decision of the three team sports to engage their own security advice ahead of the Commonwealth Games defies logic.

Chef de mission Dave Currie leaves for Delhi today on a 10-day fact-finding mission that could make or break New Zealand's involvement in the troubled event.

The Games have stumbled from one crisis to the next, traversing concerns about venue readiness, corruption, dengue fever and, pivotally, security.

The Weekend Herald last week reported that Netball New Zealand, Hockey New Zealand and the New Zealand Rugby Union had commissioned independent security advice amid rising concerns about Delhi's readiness, but Currie dismissed their concerns.

"Clearly the Athletes Federation [NZFA] are working with a range of sports ... but to me there's no logic at all," he said. "They've chosen to do it, I don't know why they've done it, but it's certainly the sports that are working with the Athletes Federation."

The New Zealand Olympic Committee held a pre-Games briefing yesterday and said the advice it was getting from the Government and from the security agencies of England, Wales, Australia and Canada, with which they have pooled resources, was the best that could be received.

"If you think about it, you've got five countries and all the resources of their security agencies [are] feeding into a common pool. It defies logic that an independent company without the resources and the breadth of all of that can give any other view," Currie said.

The NZOC believed security fears were being heightened by "mischievous" speculation.

"They [NZFA] say their belief is that governments are more concerned about other areas like [free trade agreements] and therefore won't be as objective about it. I think that's a nonsense really," Currie said.

"I am confident they will give us clear, objective information."

NZOC president Mike Stanley added that he felt the commissioning of independent security was unnecessary, but acknowledged the sports were "doing their very best to make sure the athletes were secure".

Netball boss Raelene Castle said last week, in explanation of why they have sought outside expertise, that there were "still questions to be answered and our levels of confidence have to be confirmed before we hop on that plane".

Stanley confirmed New Zealand will have seven police on the ground in Delhi. Along with the four countries they have aligned themselves with, they will have "40-plus" security personnel on the ground who will liaise via radio.

Just two of the New Zealand police will be embedded with the team. The NZFA believes that the team is under-resourced.

"What would they [extra police] do?" Currie said. "They're not there to provide security. They're simply a link between us and the organising committee.

"I come back to the fundamental point: either we've got faith in the security arrangements of the organising committee, or we haven't. However many New Zealand police we have embedded in the team ... they would not make the New Zealand team any more secure."

Currie expects to report back to Stanley and the NZOC board on September 23 or 24.

A recommendation will either be that New Zealand pulls out of the Games, or that it is okay to start bringing athletes into the village.

If, as seems likely, the go-ahead is given, the NZOC will decide on the ground whether it is appropriate for the athletes to be kept inside the Games bubble - the airport, transport routes, venues and village - or whether they will be allowed to visit sights in Delhi.