Smith said he met with Indian authorities last year to review security arrangements for the Commonwealth Games, which start in Delhi on October 3.

He said: "I was satisfied then and I'm satisfied now that all of the necessary coordination and consultation continues to occur and, of course, we are deeply interested in those arrangements.

"It is a very regrettable fact of the modern era that there are always the risk of security risks in major sporting events, whether they're conducted in Australia, the Sydney Olympics or the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, or whether they're conducted in India."

Smith also believed similar security measures were in place for this month's men's hockey World Cup in Delhi and the Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships, which began in the same city earlier today.

Pakistan-based militant Ilyas Kashmiri has threatened athletes ahead of the Commonwealth Games along with cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and hockey World Cup players.

In December it was claimed that England would pull out of the Commonwealth Games because they could not guarantee the safety of its players.

Australian Commonwealth Games officials said this week they still intend to send a team to Delhi.

The IPL starts in India on March 12 and the Australian Cricket Association and Cricket Australia are waiting on a report to be tabled by security expert Reg Dickason next week before advising players on the current threat.

Hockey Australia has said no Kookaburras players have indicated they want to pull out of the men's World Cup starting on February 28, with the team due to fly to Delhi on Sunday, February 21.

Australian shooters already in Delhi said they were comfortable with security arrangements.

Smith said the Australian Government would continue to ensure sporting bodies had all necessary security information.

"The Australian Government's position is very well understood by the sporting community," he said.

"We make available to the sporting teams and the sporting associations, all of our up-to-date travel and security advice and assessments ... whether sporting teams or individuals take part is entirely a matter for them."


Related stories
February 2010: England trying to shrug off Delhi security concerns
February 2010: Metropolitan Police insist England in no danger in Delhi
January 2009: Delhi is safe for Commonwealth Games claim Met Police
January 2010: Fennell hits out at critics and promises Delhi will be safe for Games
December 2009 :England claim report they will miss Commonwealth Games is "rubbish"