The Solomon Islands have withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games starting in Kuala Lumpur in September, Malaysia's national Bernama news agency said yesterday.

It said that the Pacific island nation notified the games' organisers, Sukom, last week of their withdrawal. No reasons were given.

They had indicated earlier that they would send six athletes - two each in athletics, boxing and weightlifting.

The withdrawal has robbed the September 11th-21st tournament of a full turn-out by the 69-member nations of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) - there are a record 68 entries.