Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010: Swimmers lay down with stomach problems
The crisis hit event continues to attract problems and plague the organizers of the 19th Commonwealth Games, New Delhi. After a successful opening ceremony, the Organizing Committee took a sigh of relief. Unluckily for them, after four busy days
of competitions, the Games have been plunged into a controversy again, this time related to the hygiene of the swimming pools.
The representatives of Team Australia and Team England have told the media that about 20 percent of their swimming competitors have been laid down with diarrhoea and other stomach related issues. These officials think the unhygienic waters of the Indian
pools have caused the spread of the stomach virus amongst the swimmers.
This allegation led to the laboratory speculation of the water of S.P. Mukherjee Aquatics Complex. When the athletes were approached by the media persons regarding this controversy, England’s gold medallist Fran Halsall revealed that the toilets were blocked
at the venue and the hygienic conditions of the pools were not up to the standard.
On the other hand, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation said that
“After concerns were raised, the training pool in the athletes’ village and warm up pool and competition pool at the venue were tested.” The president went on to say that
“And the test results showed the water is in keeping with the standards that are required. Our Commonwealth Games Federation doctor had a meeting with his counterpart on the Australian and England teams and all agreed that the problems they are having are
not from the water and could be being caused by other things.”
Most experts think that the stomach aches that the swimmers are getting are normal amongst the visitors who come to India.
The troubles that the organizers have been facing do not seem to end, even though the mega event is now half way through. This is the first Games in the history of the Commonwealth Games Federation which has so many issues attached to it. The intensity of
this criticism was so great before the Games kicked off that some officials actually started believing that the Games might not as well take place. At the apparently successful opening ceremony, the Pakistan contingent was again hit by a controversy, after
which the team’s weightlifting athletes threatened the chef de Mission to withdraw from the competitions if he does not apologize to them.
Moving on to the competitions, the turnout at the venues has consistently been very disappointing. Even the local Indian population does not show up at the tournaments and the athletes perform without any fans cheering for them. The latest controversies
that has once again made headlines in the international media, is the one involving the Australian hurdle specialist, Sally Pearson.
Sally was disqualified for a false start at the women’s 100 metre final sprint race, after she was announced as the winner of the gold medal in the event. She was disqualified following the protest against her while she was preparing for the medal ceremony.
When the president of the Federation was approached for his views on the whole incident, Fennell said that it was not unusual that a protest followed a race, but he said that the normal protocol was ignored. He also said that
“It was a major communication blunder by the officials at athletics for which we apologize.”
The chairman of the Indian Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee, Suresh Kalmadi, today gave an appearance in front of the national and international media about the progression of the troubled Games. The chairman was recorded as saying
“We are fully competent and we are running these Games efficiently”, he also went on to say that
“but there are issues that come up in every Games and we are dealing with these matters as they arise.”
There are numerous other problems that are confronting the Games, but it is amazing how the Organizing Committee officials rule out all the issues and are composed regardless.
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