Commonwealth Shame

It really is a shame to see the preparations for the games. I mean the way we have been competing with China in every aspect, but look at the difference the way China hosted Olympic games!!! It puts the whole country in poor light. Several participating countries are so concerned that they have delayed their arrival into Delhi. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard highlighted security fears surrounding the Games and said athletes should decide for themselves whether or not to attend. Two foreign vistors were shot and wounded by suspected militants on Sunday. "There is obviously widespread concern about the Commonwealth Games," Gillard told reporters in Canberra.

The Games, held every four years for members of the organization of mostly former British colonies, are estimated to have cost $3-6 billion. We had hoped to use this event to display our growing global economic and political clout, rivalling China. Instead, it has snowballed into a major embarrassment for the government, having to fend off criticism of shoddy construction, inadequate security and unfit accommodation. In a sign of desperation, the government has ordered the organizing committee to hand over management of the Games Village, which will house 6,500 athletes, to the government.

I certainly feel ashamed of the whole arrangements. On one side we try to pose as if we are a great emerging market but when given such responsibility we have failed collectively. Government has totally been out of touch and failed to recognize the importance of the games.

World discus champion Dani Samuels of Australia has pulled out of the Games because of security and health concerns, as did England's world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu. Four other champions have quit due to various reasons, including injuries.

Triple Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica is the highest profile athlete to skip the event.

A Dengue epidemic has spread through New Delhi, sending thousands of people to hospital.

"They (athletes) may not be able to sustain their performance so they find out some reason or other why they are not participating, but these things happen in every game, every competition," Lalit Bhanot, spokesman of the Delhi organizing committee, told CNN IBN.

Images of stray dogs, stagnant water, workers urinating in public, and human faeces found at the unfinished athletes' village have overshadowed the successes of the Games -- the main stadium and other sporting venues. A portion of false ceiling in the weightlifting venue caved in on Wednesday, a day after the collapse of a footbridge by the main stadium, injuring 27 workers.

The event has also been plagued by security concerns. Two foreign tourists were shot and wounded at the weekend by unknown assailants in Delhi and Australian TV broadcast how a reporter bought bomb-making devices to smuggle through security points. Indian police have denied he ever crossed a checkpoint.

I just hope that the games are cancelled and our country is saved from the humiliation of being such poor planners. Also hope that the government looks into things that led to such failures in order to avoid such embarrassments in future.