Aslam Khan, head of protocol for the games, confirmed that the choice of guest for the closing ceremony in the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi was a "joint venture between the Indian government and the organising committee". Rajapaksa is not expected to speak at the event, Khan said.
Sri Lanka however has been blocked from hosting the next meeting of Commonwealth leaders in 2011, after Britain and Australia joined forces last year to protest at alleged human rights abuses.
