RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) — High winds and filthy water embarrassed Pan-Am Games organisers this week, prompting the postponement of the softball and forcing water-skiers on a polluted lagoon to keep their mouths shut.Two Cuban boxers, including Olympic and world amateur champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, were still missing after failing to appear for their bouts on Sunday, increasing suspicions they had defected.

In the latest organisational hiccup, the softball tournament, due to start on Monday, was rescheduled for Tuesday after the glitch-prone baseball stadium was damaged by high winds.

Many of the tents around the entrance to the facility were blown over or destroyed while portions of the roof covering the stadium were also damaged.

It was the latest setback for the City of Rock venue, where the baseball gold medal contest between Cuba and the United States was delayed by a day because of a waterlogged field while the stadium's lighting was deemed unfit, forcing the rescheduling of all night games.

Over at the water skiing, competitors complained about the water in the notoriously polluted Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.

"I've known the Lagoa to be completely disgusting, really stinking. It's not at its worst but I don't think it will ever be clean," said Brazilian Marcelo Giardi, who won gold in the men's wakeboard event.

"When you fall in, the first thing to do is close your mouth because you can't swallow this water."

Canada's Drew Ross, who won the men's slalom, was also unhappy at having to leave his belongings on the grass while he competed.

"The place is beautiful but the sporting conditions are not adequate," he said.

The total of suspected Cuban defectors rose to three following the disappearance of Rigondeaux and fellow boxer Erislandy Lara.

"They asked to go shopping on Saturday and didn't come back. We're thinking they may have deserted," said a member of the Cuban delegation, who asked not to be named.

In a games marred by bad crowd behaviour in several events, the local organising committee said that two Brazilian judo directors had been banned from the rest of the games for their part in a brawl following a bout on Sunday.