NZ netball captain tells family to skip Commonwealth Games

Christchurch: New Zealand netball captain Casey Williams has told her family and friends not to travel

to India for the Commonwealth Games in October as she fears terrorist bombings during the event. Although Williams has committed to lead New Zealand netball team`s Commonwealth title defence, she said she doesn`t want her loved ones to travel to India. "My family were going to India but I`ve told them to stay at home. We, as players, have protection but they, as public, don`t. They`ve said fair enough, they`ll go to the world championships in Singapore the year after instead," Williams, who plays as defender, said. "I do think about the security side and I don`t think Delhi`s the kind of place where you meet up in the middle of town for coffee. But it`s not going to stop me from going, I don`t have any issues travelling to India and I`ll be there with bells on," she was quoted as saying. The report said that 25-year-old Williams was the latest high-profile Kiwi athlete to scrap family travel plans on the basis she cannot guarantee their safety. In April, her team-mates Temepara George and Leana de Bruin revealed they had cancelled plans to have their families in India. Both also reserved their right to wait until closer to the October 3 Games start before confirming their own involvement. Despite ongoing security and terrorism concerns, there are yet to be any notable withdrawals from New Zealand`s Games team for India. But many more athletes are expected to follow Williams` lead and advise friends and family against travelling to New Delhi to support them, the report said. PTI