HYDERABAD: Despite the postponement of Indian Open badminton championship, organisers of two prestigious international events have resolved not to pull out from Hyderabad in the wake of the twin bomb blasts.

The International Astronautical Congress and the World Military Games have made it clear that their respective shows would go on as scheduled following assurances by the Government to put foolproof security in place.

The Congress organisers expressed confidence about smooth conduct of the event at HICC in mid-September in which the Indian-American astronaut Sunita Willians is expected to be a star attraction. The State Government, on its part, has drawn up detailed plans in its preparation for the World Military Games 2007 beginning in Hyderabad from October 14.

Chief Secretary J. Harinarayan asked visitors not to harbour any apprehensions about safety in the city. Hyderabad, he said, was “as safe as the safest places in the world”. Describing the twin blasts that rocked the city on August 25 as “nightmarish”, he said security had been beefed up, intelligence gathering stepped up and citizens alerted to give information on suspicious movement. The Astronautical Congress said in its website that the August 25 terror attack in Hyderabad was not targeted at any political party or agency, but appeared to be a part of terrorism happening all over the globe. It noted that this was almost similar to what had happened at Valencia last year a couple of months before IAC 2006 and also the incidents at Glasgow recently.

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