Delhi organisers were left reeling yesterday by Sir Chris's decision to pull-out of the Games because of a clash of dates in the cycling calendar which means the Scotsman plans to concentrate instead on the European Championships, an event which carries qualification points for the London 2012 Olympics.

The announcement by the four-time Olympic champion follows that of Bolt, the winner of three gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and the world record holder for the 100 and 200 metres, that he will skip the Games.

The Jamaican has claimed that the event was too late in the year and would compromise his preparations for next year's World Championships in Dageau and London 2012.

Other top names to have indicated already that they will not be competing in Delhi include Jessica Ennis, England's world heptathlon champion, and Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser, the Olympic and world 100 metres champion.

Gill said: "The world knows that India has spent lavishly for organising the Commonwealth Games.

"The stadiums we built match the best in the world and far in excess of the requirement.

"It is therefore sad that some of the leading sportspersons are not coming to India."

The decision of Bolt to miss the event after Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of Delhi Organising Committee and President of the Indian Olympic Association, promised he would compete is the biggest setback.

Gill said: "We all wanted to see Bolt run in Delhi and Hoy, being a multiple Olympic and Commonwealth champion, was also a top draw.

"It appears that for the Olympic Games, performance in events like Asian Games and European Championships are taken into account.

"Naturally, the sportspersons don't attach the same importance to the Commonwealth Games.

"This is a matter which I think we will discuss in the Commonwealth Sports Ministers meeting in Delhi on October 4."

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