A dismal 200,000 tickets were bought ahead of the Games, with Indian officials blaming the foreign media for putting people off by over exaggerating health and security fears in the Indian capital.

General attendances for the event have so far been extremely low with vast empty stands spotted at the majority of venues.

This was highlighted when only 15,000 people turned up at the 60,000 capacity Nehru Stadium for the men’s and women’s 100m final - the blue-ribbon event of the Games.

However, Bhanot insisted ticket sales are healthy and crowds are good, claiming that nearly one million tickets have been sold in transactions worth 320,000,000 rupees.

“Reports say there are good crowds at the hockey, tennis, wrestling, boxing, swimming, athletics and badminton, but some of the sports which are not very popular we are trying to fill the stadiums by distributing the tickets to the schoolchildren and others,” said Bhanot.

“The tickets have been sold through our retail outlets and we have received the revenue against these tickets.

“There are a number of games which are almost sold out and attendance is very good as far as these Games are concerned.

“Things have improved very much.”

However, despite Bhanot’s claims, stadiums continue to feature embarrassing gaps in the stands in what will be an all too familiar worry for the rest of the Organising Committee.

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