The current Common Wealth Games fiasco represents everything that is wrong with governance in India. It was just bizarre watching the Delhi CM Sheela Dikshit and the organizers reasoning the recent bridge collapse and the dirty conditions inside the living areas. Its absurd that the CM considers this a "minor incident" because the bridge was meant only for the common people and not athletes, and that does not really affect the games as such. And who knows, may be it will become a major incident if the entire stadium were to collapse because of shoddy construction.
As if the infrastructure bungles and construction delays were not enough, the dirty living conditions as cited by Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland drew the last straw in the CWG mess. Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald also raised concerns on the Netball and Track Cycling stadiums erected by the same company that built the bridge that collapsed on Tuesday. Fears are growing over sloppy workmanship of all the stadiums. Based on New Zealand PM John Key’s interview to the NZ Herald, there is a possibility that the Kiwi athletes may pull out of the Games. Prominent international athletes dropping from the CWG is becoming an everyday routine.
While all this is happening on one side, the organizers in India seem to be unperturbed by these developments and are still confident that the Games will be a huge success. Jaipal Reddy, who heads the Group of Empowered Ministers, reiterates that the people should not over estimate these “minor incidents”. Suresh Kalmadi, the captain of this sinking ship is nowhere to be found. Mike Hooper, the CEO has thrown his hands up leaving his Indian counterparts to clean up the muddle.
(Suresh Kalmadi (2nd from right) alongside fellow doorknobs Lalit Bhanot and Mike Hooper)
And Lalit Bhanot consolidated his position as the No.1 contender for the India Hall-of-shame Award in lieu of his comments defending the allegations of dirty living conditions. I just wonder if these people have an iota of shame left in them. It is you and me who have to be ashamed for these people’s absolute disaster. I just hope and pray that these clowns are made to pay for the new highs they have managed to set in corruption and sleaze.
The Delhi Common Wealth Games has already downed twice the amount of money required for an Olympic event - four times the amount of money Glasgow is spending for the next Common Wealth Games, and is still short of every basic service.
India has lost its credibility in the international arena thanks to a bunch of buffoons masquerading as organizers and administrators.
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