F1 race arrival to India by 2011

India's date with high-profile Formula One race is delayed by another year to 2011, Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi said on Thursday but refused to give any reason for it.

"Formula One will be held in India in 2011. Berni (Ecclestone, Formula One supremo) and GP Group are working on this plan," he said.

Kalmadi, who had been saying that F1 race will be held in Greater Noida in 2010, however, did not give any reason for the delay.

"I don't know," he said parrying an answer to the queries regarding reasons for the delay.

This followed after President and CEO of Formula One Management Bernie Ecclestone said last month that the Indian Grand Prix will only be inserted in the 2011 season.

IOA signed a deal reportedly for 10 years in June 2007 to host F1 in Greater Noida and the site for the race track was surveyed by Hermann Tilke who has designed most new F1 tracks over the past decade including Sepang, Bahrain, Shanghai, Istanbul, Singapore.

Kalmadi expressed happiness that Olympic sports is on the rise in India after the Beijing Games and fine showing by the country in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in October.

"We won the first individual gold, won bronze in boxing and wrestling in Beijing. It is not about only one or two disciplines. Our youth did well in the recent Commonwealth Youth Games by finishing on top. So, Olympic sports are beginning to do well," he said at a function to celebrate '700 Days to go for the 2010 Commonwealth Games'.