Athletes to watch opening ceremony

For the first time in 80 years of the Commonwealth Games, athletes will be allowed to catch most of the opening ceremony spectacle first hand when the event begins at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Sunday.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced on Wednesday the Delhi Games would be the first in which athletes would march into the stadium during the opening segment of the ceremony and be seated to watch the rest.

It bucks the usual trend of the athletes viewing most of the ceremony on a big screen before entering the stadium later.

Australian chef de mission Steve Moneghetti, a veteran of four Commonwealth Games, hailed the move saying it would only add to the athletes' experience.

"You're out there for that all time anyway so you might as well see the ceremony live, I think it's a good thing," Moneghetti said.

"For me personally the opening ceremony is a very signficant time when the team marches behind the Australian flag and also you would think in India it would be a fantastic ceremony so to be actually seeing it live would be extra special."

CGF president Mike Fennell said he wanted athletes to be the focus of the opening ceremony.

"The Games are about the athletes," he said.

"The ceremony recognises the commencement of the Games, so it is appropriate that the athletes are honoured in this way.

Organisers also confirmed on Wednesday both Prince Charles and Indian President Pratibha Patil would play prominent roles in the opening of the Games following controversy over who should do so.

CGF said Prince would read the Queen's message "which ends with the opening of the Games".

It the said the Indian President will then deliver her address and "signal the commencement of the Games".

Queen Elizabeth, 84, would usually open the Games as head of the Commonwealth but announced in May she would not travel to India due to her hectic schedule.

That led to calls for India's President to open the Games, forcing organisers to reach a compromise.

- AAP