Delhi struggling to meet Commonwealth Games deadline
With barely a month left before the 2010 XIX Commonwealth Games, several critics have disclosed their frustration at the city of Delhi, India, and its delay in meeting the deadline for the sporting event. Though the Games were awarded in 2003, Delhi is far from complete. The athlete’s village has been declared not ready, one venue has been ruled out, roads need repair, and ticket sales have been delayed.
Delhi’s organizers face a daunting task of reversing a nearly insurmountable situation, and Games’ authorities are becoming more reluctant to show leniency after several deadline extensions have been issued since the failure to complete the venue by 31 March this year. A series of problems – bureaucratic disorganization, financial trouble, crumbling infrastructure, and monsoon rains have all contributed to the fraught mess, and the Games are losing support. Several citizens have threatened to leave, with former sports minister Mani Shankar Aiyar announcing he was “getting the h**l out of the country.”
Since the beginning, Delhi has faced wide criticism for taking on such a role. Miloon Kothari, of the Housing and Land Rights Network told the BBC: “The goal of portraying Delhi as a world-class city and an international sports destination has led the Indian government to lose sight of its priorities and legal and moral commitments to its people.”
Kothari’s comments are representative of many citizens, who see the Games as a “negative financial legacy,” which will burden the city for years to come. In a country where over half the population lives in poverty, the justification for spending billions of dollars (possibly up to $15bn, when all is said and done) on a two-week sporting event is beginning to look questionable in the eyes of some critics.
Yet Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit is adamant that Delhi will be ready by the next deadline. “I will appeal to him [Lord Indra] to bring some sunshine. If the rain stops and the sun comes out, we will be able to complete the work by 10-15 September. Otherwise we will have to extend the deadline. By the grace of god, we will be able to finish everything by 3 October.”
Given the current situation, it will take serious co-ordination on the part of the organizers to see Delhi fit for the world sports stage. Even then, a great amount of success by local athletes may be needed before public sentiment grows positive and festive again.
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