JOHANNESBURG The president of South Africa's Olympic committee defended New Delhi's right to host the crisis-hit Commonwealth Games, saying on Sunday he was willing to clean any toilets himself to help ensure it went ahead.

With organisers the target of widespread criticism for a lack of cleanliness in the athletes' village, construction issues and security problems, SASCOC president Gideon Sam said there would be no complaints from the South Africans.

“As developing nations we must stand together,” Mr Sam said, according to the South African Press Agency. “We cannot allow developed countries to go out there and take the last seat in the hall.”

“If they (the athletes) are unhappy with their rooms because they have not been swept, they must take off their jackets and sweep them themselves. We will not complain. South Africans do not do that,” Mr Sam said. “And when I get there on Friday, if a toilet is not clean, I will clean it myself.Mr Sam compared criticism of India to that received by South Africa ahead of its ultimately successful hosting of the football World Cup.

“We had the same problems with these countries who complained before the FIFA World Cup, and I won't even mention them because we know who they are,” he said. —AP