Can Farah be the Last to Leave the Commonwealth Games?

No Usain Bolt, no Asafa Powell, no David Rudisha, no Paula Radcliffe, or Jessica Ennis, or Jenny Meadows, or Natasha Danvers. No Sir Chris Hoy, no Victoria Pendleton, no Bradley Wiggins or Beth Tweddle. And now no Mo Farah either. Will the last top British star, let alone world star, who leaves remember to turn the Commonwealth Games lights off? Farah's sudden withdrawal from the Games that begin on October 3rd in New Delhi is another in a long line of blows meted out to one of my favourite sporting events in the global calendar. The problem has been the calendar, the schedule, the elements and, although few admit this, the constant suggestions of violence from terrorists looking to make their mark. Personally I think it is a wonderful opportunity for India to announce itself on the Olympic sports stage by hosting the XIX Games, but October is desperately close to the start of most athletes' pre-season training and this, with the world championships and then the Olympics looming, is the reason why many, after a long and tiring season that has included peaking at the successful European Championships in August in Barcelona, is the reason why so many have withdrawn. In the case of the cyclists you have to thank the sport's governing body who deemed, in their infinite wisdom, to insist on Olympic qualifying points being on offer at the lesser European Championships staged too close to the Commonwealths. Cue the mass withdrawal of all the top British riders and a chance to put the sport in the spotlight gone. Try staging the Games earlier in the summer in Delhi and, of course, we're talking temperatures so hot that the consequences could be disastrous for the competitors. At least we still have the swimmers and the likes of Rebecca Adlington, Gemma Spofforth and Francesca Halsall will be looking to clean up. Regardless of who actually turns up in the end in Delhi I, for one, am greatly looking forward to a Games and pray that it is a success. India deserves it, and so, too, do the does the Commonwealth Games.