Is the Indian Swimming Team not welcome at the Commonwealth Games?
When the Indian swimming squad went to the newly built Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool complex, the response by the management of the complex was not very positive for the native swimming team. The stadium took 80 million dollars to be built and is an indoor pool especially constructed for the Commonwealth Games schedules to take place from the 4th to the 13th of October at New Delhi this year. The team showed up at the stadium to practise swimming for the upcoming tournament. The management did not welcome the team, rather the Indian swimming squad was kept waiting for over 20 minutes at the gate, during which they went through vigorous checking by the New Delhi Police serving at the stadium. This news was revealed by the coach of the team Pradeep Kumar and other officials present at the pool at that time.
According to the coach and other officials, the team had been practising at this pool for over a week now and so it was very awkward for them to go through the security checking. Mr. Kumar also said that it was sort of an offence for the team to be checked for security so thoroughly in their native land. He also said that he did not understand the need for the Delhi Police to do so.
The spokesman for the Delhi Police who was on duty at the pool at the time did not return the call the Indian team’s officials sent out to the security management of the Commonwealth Games, the call which sought an explanation for retaining the team behind the gates of the stadium.
The 20 minute delay was seen by the Indian swimming squad as an unnecessary obstacle in their practising. No one, but them, had been anxiously waiting for the stadium to be renovated so that they could practise for the Games scheduled to take place next month. It is important for them to swim and train in this pool and get used to it, so that they are comfortable swimming at the actual events. The swimmers were taken aback at this action of the security officials.
Mr. Kumar, the coach of the Indian Swimming team said that any country would want its athletes to be happy and totally upbeat before less than a month of an event as big as the Commonwealth Games, but the Indian Swim team here was made to feel harassed. In an interview with a local newspaper, the disappointed coach said that if the team is to go through security checking and the management has some sort of security threat from the team, then they should make the process of checking smooth and not a hindrance in the team’s practising sessions.
On the other hand, the whole process of preparing for the Commonwealth Games has been a pain for the local people of India. The hosting of such a mega event is basically seen as an endeavour to emerge in the South Asian region by the Indian government, by critics. During this time, the prices of construction material soared and so did the wages of the labour. This caused a general rise in the inflation rate of the country. The locals said that this decision was a mistake on the part of the Indian Government since it was a drain on the finances of the country and the nerves of the people. Majority of the people in India opposed the hosting of such an event, also because corruption during the process of preparation was at its peak. Also, the security situation in the country is not favourable for such an event, experts say. While those, supporting the decision of the Indian administration justify that this event will attract thousands of fans and spectators from all over the world and thus large amount of revenue will be generated for the Indian Government, which it can use in the different development projects going on in the underdeveloped and poverty struck areas of the country.
Tags: