Delhi 2010 XIX Commonwealth Games Chaos: Controversies ‘Come Out and Play’
As is often the case in the subcontinent, the biggest sporting event to be staged in India in the last three decades or so, the 19th Commonwealth Games, is becoming a nightmare for the organizers, as one controversy after another engulfs the sporting spectacle set to start in October.
The 12-day Games run from the 3rd to 14th of October, and the major event is set to attract nearly 10,000 athletes from all over the world, yet allegations of corruption and ill-planning have given the Games a serious hit with less than two months left before the opening ceremony.
With the allegations of corruption rife, India's Federal Sports Minister M.S. Gill has vowed to take action against all who are part of the scam, and ensured that he would personally advise the high-ups in the government to take action against the offenders.
Gill made the claims during his address to the Upper House of the Parliament on Thursday.
"The government must, the government will and I will certainly write to the highest authorities, the finance and the others, please go into anything that is coming, sometimes other agencies you know, TV focuses in certain areas only, but if CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) stood on something, and I am in touch with him on other matters…my officers, other agencies such as CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India), they must also speed up as much as I am concerned, and catch them, catch whoever it is," said Gill.
Despite the spate of controversies, the minister is confident that his country will put a dazzling show and promote a new and modern face of India, casting aside doubts of the western world.
"All I can say is have faith in India, and India will get there," he said.
Only a day ago, the minster had refused to indulge in the financial and organizational issues surrounding the Commonwealth Games, but ensured that the Upper House of the Parliament would take up the matter.
The Indian media have questioned the quality of the infrastructure besides the substandard preparations that are being put in place for the Games.
Meanwhile, a member of the opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Vijay Goel, along with hundreds of supporters, led a protest march to the office of the Organising Committee in New Delhi.
The protesters raised slogans against some of the organizers of the event and demanded an inquiry by the government over corruption charges and the lack of proper infrastructure development for the Games.
The protesters also burned effigies; later speaking to the media, Goel claimed that the government was wasting national wealth without any accountability, especially for development of venues for the Games.
"We are protesting against the loot of common man's money for the Commonwealth Games. The meeting, which is going on inside… I want all the executives to resign as they are facing serious charges against them. Suresh Kalmadi has become the mascot of the Commonwealth Games and has given Shera, the mascot of Commonwealth Games, the face of corruption," said Goel.
Goel also took a dig at the organizers a day earlier, in a press conference arranged to highlight the mishandling of funds allocated for the sporting extravaganza. The outspoken politician held the government responsible for the debacle and added that they should come out in the open and answer the accusations levied against them if they have a clean slate.
It remains to be seen what India exactly dishes out at the Games that have already been subject of so many controversies; at the same time, the participants are keeping a close eye on every move in New Delhi, and we just might see a few teams pull out from the coveted event.
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