Commonwealth Games mess- Shame to India

The Commonwealth Games 2010 (CWG) has put the last nail in the coffin and the shame and embarrassment to India is complete. The Organizing committee (OC) and the Government machinery are clueless about damage control. It is abundantly clear that those like Kalmadi and his team have absolutely no organizing capability and leadership to conduct an international event of this magnitude. They are highly capable in being corrupt and in that they have done a wonderful job which few can surpass.

With just a day to go before the athletes start checking into the CWG village, the conditions of the apartments as reported are pathetic. The toilets are dirty, the electrical connections and fittings are poorly laid and security in utter disarray. Foreign delegates have said in clear terms that the accommodation provided is filthy and uninhabitable. The secretary of the Organizing committee Mr.Bhanot has the temerity to say that “it is not a matter of shame. Their standards of hygiene differ from ours”. This is the kind of jokers we have to run the show. Coupled with these is the collapse of the foot bridge near the stadium which is the proverbial last straw in the camel’s back.

It was in 2003 that India was sanctioned to conduct CWG 2010. For seven years the OC personnel had a merry time travelling abroad to “see how international events are conducted”. Mr.Kalmadi says that the facilities would be better than what was put up by China during Olympics. Yes, his personal facilities would have improved by leaps and bounds. He has been singularly responsible in ensuring that India’s paper tiger can never stand up to the planning and precision of the dragon. China was ready with their infrastructure one year ahead of the games.

The fact that all the top international athletes have pulled out of the fray is indicative of what others think of this CWG. Of course India will net a bagful of Gold as they will compete with lowly placed sporting nations.

The damage done to our country is irreparable. Our image has taken a severe beating in the International circles thanks to corrupt officials The first thing the Government should do after the games is to publicly sack all concerned from the post and ensure they are barred from any public or political postings in future. Corrupt officials should be behind bars.