The Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM) in Port-of-Spain decided yesterday not to allow Fiji to take part in New Delhi because after it was suspended from the Commonwealth following the country's refusal to commit to holding elections by October 2010.

A proposal from Malaysia that the ban not prevent Fiji from taking part in the Commonwealth Games received little support after the New Zealand Prime Minister John Key spoke against it because he claimed it would "undermine the Pacific leaders" trying to resolve the crisis.

Vidya Lakhan, the head of Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, angrily hit out at the decision.

He said: "Politicians are playing their game, and of course their intention is to deprive athletes of opportunities, and I guess politicians are only good at depriving people of opportunities.

"Our next step would be to take the Commonwealth Games Federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"Sports is independent and that's how it should remain so."

The Lausanne-based CAS is an international arbitration body set up in 1984 to settle disputes related to sports and is recognised by most leading governing bodies and national federations.

Fiji's biggest hopes for a medal in New Delhi next year would be its rugby sevens team.

They have won a medal in every event since the sport was introduced to the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, when they won a silver medal.

They also won a silver medal in Manchester in 2002 and the bronze in Melbourne four years later.

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