Issues with commonwealth games in India
The Commonwealth Games is the biggest athletics competitions to be held in India. It is great to see when countries in South East Asia compete at the highest level to represent their countries.
Athletics is a big crowd puller for fans and contestants alike and with the issues and problems that are being faced by countries in South Asia; it is good to see them in the news for sporting events rather than bomb blasts and killings.
The current Commonwealth Games will be held in the city of Delhi in October this year. The organisers of the Games are facing big issues and delays in getting the venues set up for the event. They are facing more delays than the organising committee of the 2012 London Olympics is. At least the people trying to set up the London Olympics have 2 years to go but the Indians only have 5 more months left in the kitty. In those 5 months, they have to get professional venues set up in order to accommodate excellent athletes. Such athletes demand the highest levels of facilities and in order to provide these facilities, India has been gearing up for a long time to try to achieve excellent requirements of an international event.
Athletes from many countries around the world will be coming to Delhi to compete in the Games and if the venues are not ready on time, it will put a serious dent on the image of India. A story about this issue on the BBC sports website had this to say about the concerns coming to the forefront. “Delays in handing over several venues in Delhi are causing "serious concern" to the organisers of the Commonwealth Games, due to take place in October. The athletics stadium, swimming complex and Games Village have still not been completed with five months remaining,”
The problems between Indian construction firms and the organisers of the Games have become very complex. Experts believe that if work on the remaining buildings is rushed, it might lead to a shoddy, substandard infrastructure that might cause safety issues for the athletes. With so much work left on different projects of the venues, it seems to be an uphill task for the Indian organisers. International teams have already seen the venues in order to check whether the venues are up to international standards. Otherwise, the Commonwealth Games in India can be in serious trouble.
Another major issue facing India is security for the players. Many countries are very concerned for the safety and security of their athletes in India. This is probably due to the bomb blasts that exploded in Mumbai last year. Another incident occurred during a match of the Indian Premier League. India, unlike other countries in South Asia is not seen as a dangerous place in terms of safety and security. India is a massive tourist hub with millions of people visiting cities and tourist destination all across India every year. With the advent of the IPL, many international cricketers have been travelling to India to compete in the tournament. With those bomb blasts in and around the cricket stadiums, many countries are being cautious and treating the delicate situation with care. It seems like it is up to the Indian government to ensure that there are adequate safety and security measures in place to ensure that no is harmed.
If any athlete comes under attack, India will be boycotted as a destination for international events for the near future. Countries are hoping against hope that nothing like that will happen in the Games only if India sorts out its security measures. They have to speed up the building processes as well because if the games do not take place, it will be remembered for years to come.
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