Racial slurs spoil the party in Delhi

NEW DELHI - Racial jibes and slurs have overshadowed the Delhi Commonwealth Games as India's biggest-ever sporting event reached its halfway point amid organizational glitches and bad publicity.

A day after a New Zealand television presenter was slammed by India for mocking the surname of Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, South African swimmer Roland Schoeman likened crowd behaviour to monkeys, which was criticized by games chiefs.

"It's unacceptable to be at a professional event like this and have people going on like monkeys. Someone like that doesn't deserve to be here," Schoeman said after his semi-final on Friday.

"It's an absolute disgrace. There's a guy in the stands just shouting, shouting. Somebody like that needs to be ejected," he fumed.

"It is very unfortunate," Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the organizing committee condemning the remarks while Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell said any racist jibes were unacceptable.

But Bhanot said no protest would be lodged with South African authorities as these were "friendly games".

"As far as the CGF is concerned we do not tolerate improper behaviour and racial slurs and it has to be stopped," Fennell said.