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England will send a full team to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, its Chef de Mission for Delhi 2010 Mr. Craig Hunter has said after his recent visit to the Indian capital. And, Australian Commonwealth Games Association Chief Executive Mr. Perry Crosswhite has said his team was even more bullish on taking part in Delhi than it has been before.

According to a report on the Commonwealth Games England website, it will be bringing a team of 560, more than its squad for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in 2006, to compete across the 17 sports. "England will categorically be sending a team to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year," Mr. Hunter said.

He dismissed earlier reports that security concerns would force England to fail to send a team to the Commonwealth Games for the first time. "There's no doubt that there are lots of athletes who see Delhi as a vital developmental stepping stone towards the 2012 Olympics in London and they are very keen to be in the team," Mr. Hunter said.

"Let's wait and see who decides to go and who doesn't when the time comes," Mr. Hunter said. "Commonwealth Games England President Dame Kelly Holmes talks about one year when she came back after an injury and competed at the Commonwealth Games and it saved her career, and of course she went on to win double Olympic gold. She says, ‘Never say never'.

"So we'll see who goes. Of course, individuals will be able to decide if they wish to go, for whatever reason, and we will respect personal choices. But the competitions out there will be very important for many athletes keen to get experience in a multi-sport Games ahead of 2012."

Mr. Hunter and a five-member delegation that included Commonwealth Games England Chairman Sir Andrew Foster and Chief Executive Ms. Ann Hogbin, visited every competition venue, while also observing the FIH World Cup and tests events in archery and boxing. "Having seen every competition site, we believe it will all be ready," Mr. Hunter said.

"We have built up a great working relationship with the Indians, and there's no doubt that they will stage a unique Games - as different from Melbourne as Melbourne was from Manchester. And that's one of the outstanding features of visiting different countries and cultures for events such as this," he said.

Mr. Hunter spoke of how his team had noticed massive progress since October. "It was clear from the quality of the presentations that were made to us in various seminars we attended that there's a lot of joined-up thinking going on, so that related issues between the Village, catering and transport are all being addressed," he said.

Meanwhile, according to a report in The Age newspaper, Australian Commonwealth Games Association Chief Executive Mr. Crosswhite has said the country's athletes will gladly go to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi because they are tougher and more determined to represent their country.

"I think the main thing, is that Australian athletes are just really competitive. They are more so than other nations and as far as they are concerned the Commonwealth Games is really important to them and they are not afraid. Threat or no threat, they are going to go,'' he

With the Games 200 days away on Wednesday, Mr. Crosswhite said Australia's athletes had been kept well informed about the measures being put in place to protect them. "No one has expressed to us that he or she is not going," Mr. Crosswhite said. "Everybody has got to make their own mind up but I'd be disappointed if someone didn't go."

Mr. Crosswhite's confidence was echoed by one of Australia's highest-profile athletes expected to feature in Delhi - world and Olympic champion pole vaulter Steve Hooker. "I don't think there's any reason to be concerned at the moment and for that reason I'm not concerned," Hooker said.

The successful running of FIH World Cup along with trouble-free test events in shooting and archery has bolstered confidence that organisers have security under control. "We are even more bullish on it than we have been before," Mr. Crosswhite said. "All that has gone well and the security, although there was some question about it early in those events, has been fixed up pretty quickly. There hasn't been any incidents so it's been good."