The comments were made after British cyclist and Olympic champion Chris Hoy announced it was pulling out of the Games, following a similar decision from Jamaican sprinter and also Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.
“If these stars failed to turn up, then all our efforts stand waste. I again request [CGF president Mike] Fennell to bring these stars and not the thousands of officials. It’s a moral duty on the part of players to come and participate. I want ‘A’ list of players and not ‘B’ or ‘C’,” said Gill.
However, organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi highlighted that most of the participating countries will be sending their biggest delegations ever: “If one or two do not come, it does not matter. The Games will go on, the best of the world are coming and new champions will be created.”
Gill said athletes prefer to take part in regional competitions over the Commonwealth Games because these events qualify for the Olympics and he plans to raise this issue at a meeting of sports ministers from all the Commonwealth nations on October 4.
