Commonwealth Games: Intense heat begins to take toll

ROUND UP

THE TROPICAL heat beating down on the first Games in Asia is taking a growing toll.

An Indian cricketer was in hospital with heat exhaustion after collapsing on the field, and two team officials and a fan from other countries were in hospital with dengue fever.

An Australian team official and a fan joined a New Zealand team doctor in hospital with the fever. Concerned by the outbreak, Games officials ordered the athletes' village be sprayed with mosquito repellent.

The other hazard for athletes in the tropical heat of Kuala Lumpur was played out on the cricket field, when India's Amay Khurasia collapsed from heat exhaustion.

Play in a semi-final match against Australia was held up for about 10 minutes while medical officers put cold packs on the near unconscious young batsman before he was taken to hospital.

The heat casualties, forecast before the Games started, were an ominous sign, with athletics starting today.

Ghana were unsuccessful with the first protest of the boxing tournament and a South African fighter was carried out on a stretcher after another bout.

Tempers frayed in the Ghanaian camp when their officials criticised boxing judges for giving a South African a decision over their flyweight fighter, Abdulai Amidu, putting him through to the semi-finals.

"Some countries like Canada, England, Australia... want to see the weaker countries go through to the finals. They want to keep some countries down," Ghana's team manager, Abraham Johnson, said.

In another drama at the boxing, the South African featherweight, Siphwo Nongqayi, was knocked out in the first round by Papua New Guinea's Lynch Ipera and had carried to be carried from the ring on a stretcher.

He recovered later and doctors declared him out of danger.

Elsewhere, India picked up a second shooting gold during the day and Cyprus won their first of the Games.