Coe, who is due to travel to Delhi today as part of an official delegation led by Prime Minister David Cameron, claimed that he understood why top athletes were prioritising the Olympics ahead of events like the Commonwealth Games.

There is growing anger in India over the absence of Sir Chris and Bolt along with several other leading names, including Olympic and world champions Bradley Wiggins Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Shelly-Ann Fraser.

"Athletes have to make judgements for themselves and by far and away the judgements I'm getting from athletes that are choosing not to go is that it is not about India, it is not about the Commonwealth Games, it's just actually the sequence of timing and training programmes in the lead-up to [the] 2012 [Olympics]," Coe told insidethegames.

Coe himself during only ever competed in one Commonwealth Games, at Auckland in 1990 in what was the final competition of his brilliant career.

Several of the top athletes who have announced that they do not plan to travel to the Indian capital, including triple Olympic and world champion Bolt (pictured), have claimed that it is because the Games do not start until October 3 which they believe would affect their preparations for next year and could impact upon their build-up to London 2012.

"For an athlete two years to go [until the Olympics] means there is really only one competitive season and two training blocks," said Coe.

"So you can see why for some competing in October may not be manna from heaven."

Coe, the 1980 and 1984 Olympic 1500 metres champion whose grandfather was Indian, is one of several sporting icons who have joined Cameron on his trip to India designed to strengthen links between the two countries.

Others on the trip include Sir Steve Redgrave, the five-time Olympics champion, Dame Kelly Holmes, the 2004 Olympic 800m and 1500m gold medallist, and Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain's most successful ever Paralympian with a record 16 medals, including 11 gold.

Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the Premier League, is also part of Cameron's delegation of more than 100.

The security of the Commonwealth Games will figure among discussions between the two sides during Cameron’s three-day visit.

There is also a plan for Cameron to visit one of the venue - possibly the main Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - being prepared for the Games in the Indian capital.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected] 


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