NEW DELHI (AP):

A top shooting official expressed "great concern" at, the slow construction of the sport's venue for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, as organisers seek to dispel rising doubts about preparations for the New Delhi event.

Digvijay Singh, president of India's National Rifle Shooting Association, said yesterday he was worried about construction of the venue ahead of the Commonwealth nations shooting championship in February, followed by the World Cup in March.

"The delay in delivering the venue is a matter of great concern for us. We need our venue by December 31 as we have to start preparing for the Commonwealth championship," Singh told The Associated Press following a presentation of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, which has been beset by criticism over the pace of infrastructure construction.

Construction on track

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the organising panel, said yesterday that the construction at all stadiums was on track and some venues would be ready ahead of the initial December 31 deadline.

"There will be problems, but we'll overcome the problems," said Kalmadi, who reiterated that all venues would be ready before March 2010 - the revised deadline after construction at some stadiums began late.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled for October.

The Commonwealth nations shooting championship is the first of a series of international events during 2010 that were supposed to showcase New Delhi's preparation for the biggest multi-sport event staged in India since the 1982 Asian Games.

But the delay in erecting venues is proving to be an embarrassment for the organisers, leaving the national sports federations unsure about their tournaments.

New Delhi is scheduled to host the men's field hockey World Cup from February 28 and the event's organisers are pushing the federal government-run Sports Authority of India to hand over the refurbished stadium next month.

A four-nation field hockey event is to be staged at the National Stadium in January to test the turf on which the World Cup would be played.

Shooting championship

The Commonwealth nations shooting championship had already been rescheduled from 2008.

"It's mandatory for the Commonwealth championships to be staged one year before the Commonwealth Games at the same venue," Singh said.

"I'm sure all venues would be ready well ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in October, but we want the shooting range to be delivered in the next three months. ... If the venue is not ready by December, it's going to be a problem."

Last week, Commonwealth Games Federation chairman Michael Fennell said he was "extremely worried" about preparations for the 2010 event and said there was a "serious risk" it would not live up to the organisational standards of the previous two editions of the Games in Manchester, England, and Melbourne, Australia.

Kalmadi said Fennell was an experienced administrator.

"He's expressed an opinion, we'll respond to it," said Kalmadi, adding that the organising committee had decided to cancel two proposed cultural events during the Queen's Baton relay.

Queen's Baton

The Queen's Baton will start its journey to New Delhi on October 29 from London. The baton will travel through 70 nations and territories before reaching in India.

Kalmadi said the organisers had "cut down the frills and cancelled next month's musical concert by Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman in New Delhi, and a cultural gala at London's Trafalgar Square."

Randhir Singh, vice-chairman of the organising committee and secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association, said Fennell's criticism was a "wake-up call" for New Delhi.

"The criticism is well accepted. After all, the Commonwealth Games are not one-stop Games for New Delhi," Randhir Singh said. "We want to put up an excellent show and then move on to host the Asian Games."

The 2010 Commonwealth Games, scheduled for October 3-14, are expected to feature more than 5,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories which comprised or were linked to the old British empire.