Melbourne, Dec 31 (IANS) Australia will send 425 athletes to participate in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, its biggest contingent ever.
Australia Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) chief executive Perry Crosswhite said that ACGA will send a large team to Delhi and reinforced the need to keep a lid on medal expectations.

“We are expecting to send around 425 athletes to Delhi. This will be our largest team ever sent to a Commonwealth Games held overseas. We had 371 in Manchester and 425 in Melbourne,” Crosswhite said in a statement.

“The Delhi Games will present many challenges, and this includes our expected performance. The total Australian team medal tally has increased over the last five Commonwealth Games, peaking at 221 in Melbourne in 2006,” he said

“We need to bear in mind that achieving a greater overall medal count than Melbourne will be a difficult task. It is not a home Games and triathlon and basketball have been removed from the program, two sports in which Australia won gold medals in Melbourne.

“Our biggest challenge will come from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because of the huge government investment in athletes for the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games,” he added.

Crosswhite also said that the ACGA has spent Australia $6.5 million since Melbourne to prepare athletes for the 2010 Commonwealth Games through the Delhi 2010 Preparation Programme.

“In addition, the ACGA has provided over $2 million since Melbourne to assist junior athletes gain international competition experience through the Australian Junior Commonwealth Games squad program. A number of these squad members will be selected to represent the nation in Delhi,” he said.