Sunday’s attack on the tourists from Taiwan would not have gone unnoticed in some countries that are sending their athletes for the 19th Commonwealth Games here in October. The attack will likely fuel anxiety among the athletes and sports authorities of the Commonwealth members such as Britain, Canada and Australia, which in the recent past have voiced concerns about the security arrangements put in place for the nearly fortnight-long sporting extravaganza.
Sources in the Delhi government confirmed that the command-and-control centre, set up for liaison with participating countries, was flooded with calls in the day, but they did not name the countries from where the calls were made.
The sources said the officials from some Commonwealth countries can be expected to attend a meeting here soon to discuss security issues with the Delhi government, the organising committee and the Indian security agencies. For its part, the organising committee was quick to dispel doubts about the security for the Games. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said “an incident like this is something worrying but nothing to panic about,” as she reassured the visiting athletes about security. the US embassy has alerted American citizens “to always practise good security, maintain a heightened situational awareness.”