The Australian official who hinted his country may have to withdraw from the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games in case of security demands are not met has clearly jumped the gun.

There were no direct quotes of Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) CEO Perry Crosswhite in the ‘Courier Mail’ story threatening his country’s likely pull out of the Delhi Games though he gave enough hints.

What he said about the right of an Australian athlete to decline participation due to security fears and the idea of private security being provided to the athletes were perfectly fine. He himself said the Delhi organizers were doing their best on the security aspect.

But why should he raise the security bogey 18 months before the Games? He is setting a dangerous precedent in an uncertain world. There is no issue if Australia is concerned of the events happening (the terror attacks in Mumbai and on Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore) but is it the right time to blurt out like that 18 months before the Commonwealth Games.

2010 Games is a big project for the Indian Government and Indian Olympic Association. India would feel seriously aggrieved because it would be doing all its might to have an incident-free Games which is seen as a test case for hosting bigger events like the Olympics.

A pull out by Australia, despite India promising foolproof security, will have repercussions which could spill beyond the sporting arena.

Moreover, the chain of events starting from the Mumbai terror attacks to the attack on Sri Lankan cricket team were not India’s doing. Such statements would only be received with glee by the terrorists.

No big city in the world is completely safe these days, name New York, London or Madrid. Sydney was on the list of targets in the aftermath of September 2001 attack in the United States, if reports were to be believed. There is no guarantee in future that Australia may not be the target of terrorists before a big sporting event.

Moreover, Crosswhite might have the authority to speak about a likely Australian pull out but it is none of his business to speak about scrapping the 2010 CWG a month before the Games if the security fears are not addressed. He is not the authority to speak on that as he is just a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Marketing Committee.

Indian Sports Minister MS Gill has predictably reacted strongly, saying officials anywhere must refrain from raising “hypothetical” issues.

“I wish Commonwealth Games officials would not raise hypothetical concerns and fears, a full year and half before the Games,” Gill said in a statement.

“India has the capability, and the system, to deliver on this. I would suggest to responsible people, everywhere, not to cry hypothetical wolf, every now and then,” he said.

Crosswhite might be having the hangover of the Munich Olympics in 1972 — in which he represented Australia — when terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches.

His idea of sending private security with the athletes could be something the CGF and the Indian organisers or the governments could sort out as extraordinary measures in a volatile world made a hell to live in by the terrorists.

If, God forbid, any incident happens in Delhi one month or say three months before 2010 October, the Games will be in serious jeopardy. But trying to anticipate such a scenario and tell the world that this could happen is absurd.