Fiji may boycott the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer after being told its rugby sevens side cannot take part.
The south Pacific nation was given the go-ahead to compete 11 days ago, after a full suspension from the Commonwealth was lifted over a 2006 military coup.
The return was approved after the draw for games’ team events was completed.
Reg Sanday, head of Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, said the exclusion of its rugby sevens and netball teams may prompt a boycott.
Fiji are one of the biggest names in world rugby sevens and won Commonwealth silver in 1998 and 2002 and bronze in Melbourne in 2006, the last time they competed in the event.
‘We are upset’
“Our sevens rugby team has proven to the world by winning the World Cup twice that we can win medals at the Commonwealth Games,” Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (Fasanoc) president Mr Sanday said.
“Imagine Brazil going to the Olympics without its soccer team or Jamaica running at the games without world champion Usain Bolt?
“Fasanoc will have a meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) to discuss a the boycott. We are upset by the decision by the games committee to exclude our rugby sevens and netball teams.”
In a letter to Fasanoc, Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Michael Hooper said the Fiji rugby and netball teams could not be accepted because of “operational difficulties” in redoing the draws.
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow run from 23 July to 3 August.
