NEW DELHI (India) - INDIA is racing against time to complete its stadiums for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the capital next year.

With barely 15 months left before the multiple-sport event, more than half of the construction work is yet to be finished at many stadiums, the sports ministry said in a statement Thursday in the upper house of the parliament.

The ministry said only five of the 17 venues for training and competition were at more than 50 per cent completion.

Indian Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill said the construction at many venues had been delayed because of 'design issues and certain clearances'.

'These have since been resolved and the work has now achieved optimum level,' Mr Gill said, insisting that the venues would be ready in time for the Games.

New Delhi will become only the second Asian city after Kuala Lumpur to host the Commonwealth Games.

The Games, India's biggest event since the 1982 Asian Games, are scheduled for Oct 3-14.

'There can be some slippage in the schedule but we have a recovery period to counter such a situation,' the Games organising committee secretary-general Lalit Bhanot told the Hindustan Times on Friday.

'I firmly believe that the deadline will be met.' -- AFP