March 23 - Sebastian Coe (pictured) has handed New Delhi a massive boost by insisting that the Indian city must be allowed to host next year's Commonwealth Games despite concerns over security there.

 

The controversial decision yesterday to move cricket's multi-million pound Indian Premier League (IPL) out of the country to South Africa or England because of security fears has raised fresh doubts that the country will be able to cope with the Commonwealth Games next year.

 

But the London 2012 chairman warned that unless developing countries like India were allowed to host mega-events like the Commonwealth Games or Olympics, which New Delhi hopes to bid for in 2020, then sport would never develop properly around the world, he told insidethegames here.

 

Suresh Kalmadi, the chief organiser of the Commonwealth Games and president of the Indian Olympic Association, had been unable to attend the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Council meeting in the German capital this weekend because he is so busy with arrangements for next year.

 

Coe, a vice-president of the IAAF, has a lot of sympathy for him as they have become a hostage to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Lahore.

 

He told insidethegames: "This is the world all big events live in.

  

"This was always going to be a challenge for India to organise."

 

Coe has strong links with India and New Delhi, in particular.

 

His mother was half Indian, his grandfather owned the biggest hotel in New Delhi, and another member of the family was the Indian Ambassador in Washington.

 

In 1988, when Coe was controversially left out of British team for Seoul Olympics, despite being the holder of the 1500 metres crown from Moscow Los Angeles, the Indians offered to have him run for them.

 

But Coe's backing for New Delhi is genuine.

 

He said: "The Commonwealth Games went to New Delhi for absolutely the right reasons.

 

"It's an extraordinary opportunity in an extraordinary country."

 

India is seen by many within world sport as the last great untapped market.

 

Coe said: "You want India to develop in a way with a broader outlook than with just the narrowness of cricket, which is as big in that country as football is in Britain.

 

"It's very important that a multi-disciplinary sports event went there.

 

"But it's tough.

 

"If we want to globalise these events, if we want to make sure that they don't just consistently go to a clutch of countries are quite clearly resourced and with people to do this, then organisations like the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Movement are going to have to put frameworks around to help them.

 

"It is the same way that FIFA has clearly recognised that the 2010 World Cup should go to South Africa because it is important.

 

"But that you have to be slightly more hands on.

 

"It is not enough for us to say, 'Let's globalise world sport' without giving the people we are hoping will pick up the baton some help from the centre.

 

"I know the Commonwealth Games Federation are down there on a permanent basis and I am sure the event will be a huge success, there is no doubt about that."