HispanicBusiness

US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was criticised by a British government minister Friday for suggesting that London was "not ready" to stage the Olympic Games.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is the cabinet minister in charge of the Games, said: "When we have the opening ceremony tonight and we tell the world that eight of the world's top 10 sports were either invented or codified in Britain - and only two in America - I hope Mr Romney is watching."

Romney told NBC News before arriving in London Thursday that there were a few "disconcerting" things with regards to security over the Olympics.

But later, after a meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron in Downing Street, he backtracked on his earlier comments.

"I am very delighted with the prospects of a highly successful Olympic Games," he said. "What I have seen shows imagination and forethought and a lot of organization. I expect the Games to be highly successful."

Cameron, who publicly ignored the American's ill-timed remarks, said he took what Romney told him as a "vote of confidence because I think he could see, as everyone can see, that this is going to be a fantastic Olympic Games here in London."

Romney, who is expected to attend the opening ceremony, made London the first stop of a tour that will also take him to Poland and Israel.