NEW DELHI, Feb 24: India has requested a postponement of this year’s Commonwealth boxing championships because the venue, being built for next year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, may not be ready in time.

“We have taken it up with the Commonwealth boxing federation as well as the games organising committee,” Indian Boxing Federation secretary general P.K. Muralidharan Raja said.

“They would expect us to conduct the event this calendar year, but we are asking the federation whether we can carry it forward,” he said.

Raja said March 2010 would be the ideal time to host the event because the venue would be completed by then.

Commonwealth Games organisers are under pressure because of delays in several projects for the games, which are scheduled to take place from Oct. 3-14 next year.

Construction delays also forced this year’s world badminton championships to be moved to the southern city of Hyderabad.—Reuters