<p>Besides Olympics Heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton and long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis, Beth Tweddle, Dan Keatings and Louis Smith are some of names who have reportedly decided to give the Delhi Games a miss.<br />"For some of the 17 sports, Commonwealth Games gold is the pinnacle achievement in an athlete's career. But a host of top names from athletics and gymnastics have decided not to travel to next year's games in Delhi as London 2012 looms," The Telegraph reported.<br />Team England's chef de mission Craig Hunter, however, tried to allay the fear of a mass withdrawals from the 2010 Commonwealth Games. <br /><br />"Let's wait until we board the plane in September. The majority of the household names have said they will be there but a lot of things can happen along the way," Hunter was quoted as saying by the daily.<br />The Commonwealth Games are being viewed as a pathway into London Olympics and some sports are eyeing to give the final touch to their preparation using the Delhi event.<br />"That's a challenge for us. We want to achieve our best ever Games. We are continually raising the bar to be the top nation in the Commonwealth," Hunter said.<br />Meanwhile, double Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington has already promised to travel to Delhi and said a gold medal "will be a highlight of my career".</p>
<p>Besides Olympics Heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton and long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis, Beth Tweddle, Dan Keatings and Louis Smith are some of names who have reportedly decided to give the Delhi Games a miss.<br />"For some of the 17 sports, Commonwealth Games gold is the pinnacle achievement in an athlete's career. But a host of top names from athletics and gymnastics have decided not to travel to next year's games in Delhi as London 2012 looms," The Telegraph reported.<br />Team England's chef de mission Craig Hunter, however, tried to allay the fear of a mass withdrawals from the 2010 Commonwealth Games. <br /><br />"Let's wait until we board the plane in September. The majority of the household names have said they will be there but a lot of things can happen along the way," Hunter was quoted as saying by the daily.<br />The Commonwealth Games are being viewed as a pathway into London Olympics and some sports are eyeing to give the final touch to their preparation using the Delhi event.<br />"That's a challenge for us. We want to achieve our best ever Games. We are continually raising the bar to be the top nation in the Commonwealth," Hunter said.<br />Meanwhile, double Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington has already promised to travel to Delhi and said a gold medal "will be a highlight of my career".</p>