Officials from hockey and cricket, the first two of three sports with major events reportedly targeted by a new terrorist threat, have sounded a note of caution about touring India.
The third event, the New Delhi Commonwealth Games, are not till October and Australia's Games chief is currently much more upbeat about committing to the sub-continent.
All three maintain their plans to attend elite sporting events in India remain unchanged despite a reported threat from guerrilla commander Ilyas Kashmiri, whose Kashmir-based 313 Brigade is an operational arm of al-Qaeda.
The Asia Times Online Web site said Kashmiri had warned athletes against competing at the hockey World Cup in New Delhi, which starts on February 28, cricket's Indian Premier League starting next month and the Commonwealth Games.
Australia's men's hockey team, the first cab off the rank, are waiting for security assessments of the report before the Kookaburras depart for the World Cup in New Delhi on Sunday.
The players had already been assured of heavy security before the purported al-Qaeda threat. Hockey Australia (HA) chief executive Mark Anderson emphasised the team's safety was of "paramount importance".
"We are not forcing any players to go," Anderson told AAP on Wednesday. "But at this stage there's no indication that anyone is going to opt out."
The Kookaburras pulled out of the 2004 Champions Trophy in Pakistan with HA citing security fears. Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Paul Marsh believed the threat level in India had escalated.
"We've gone from a situation where the threat levels in India have been concerning in recent times but now you're looking at a probably legitimate, direct threat against the (IPL) event," he said.
But any changes to the travel plans of IPL players would not be made until closer to their departure date.
Australia's players engaged in earnest discussions about al-Qaeda and IPL security during their Wednesday training session at the MCG, and while all are believed keen to play in the tournament, one admitted it was "pretty scary" to read about.
"One thing we need to be clear about is that there's quite a large difference between the IPL and and an Olympics or Commonwealth Games," Marsh told AAP. "An event like the IPL is much harder to secure."
Across the Tasman, New Zealand Cricketers' Association chief Heath Mills said: "This was already a very serious issue, but in the light of recent developments, I think it must cast doubt on whether the events will even go ahead."
The Australian government is assessing the new threat but has not raised its security warning level for athletes travelling to India. "The moment there is any change to those levels our sporting organisations are notified straight away so that they can make the best assessments for their athletes," federal Sports Minister Kate Ellis said on Wednesday.
"I believe it is the right of athletes, the right of sporting organisations, to make decisions based on their best interests.
"But I've got to tell you I've been speaking to a number of athletes in recent days in a number of different sports and they all seem very keen to get out there and do what they've been training for," she said.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australian authorities were in the "closest possible" contact with their Indian counterparts, who had pledged to implement strong security procedures for all upcoming sporting events.
Australia's Commonwealth Games Association said it was committed to going to the Games. "You can't have a situation where you might go and you might not," said chief executive Perry Crosswhite.
"The athletes are training.
"You can't have them wondering what's the point? Why get up at 5.30 and get into the pool for training every morning?
"Threats are certainly not going to stop the Games."
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot downplayed the threats. "We have taken responsibility, we will provide (athletes with) security," he said.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India said it would be seen as an insult if any Australian players pulled out of the IPL because of safety concerns.
Brahma Chellaney, an analyst at the Centre for Policy Research in Delhi, said the terrorist group did have the means to carry out an attack.
"Yet on the other hand, it is a group that doesn't have that kind of tremendous capacity to disrupt a sporting event, let alone carry out co-ordinated attacks across India," he said.
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