Members of Local Organising Committee, LOC, for the forthcoming commonwealth games in India seems to be sitting on heaps of burning charcoal. One thing is common in their minds. “The fortune to stage a successful commonwealth games will mean an end to India’s 2020 Olympic Bid”.
More to their worries is the collapse of some facilities for the games scheduled to begin on the 3rd of October. A footbridge under construction near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main games venue, collapsed, injuring 27 workers with five seriously injured. As if that was not enough, a section of ceiling at the weight-lifting venue gave way. This is the latest setback to an event that has been plagued by construction delays, allegations of corruption and a dengue fever outbreak in the India capital.
In all these, Indian officials have said it was a minor problem and not something to worry about. Even the Indian Ambassador to Nigeria…..maintained that his country will stage the best ever games.
Perhaps things will come good in India at the last minutes despite Michael Fennell, president of the commonwealth games federation doubts over a successful hosting. But may be not until countries have finished with drawing the athletes. Australia’s world discuss champion Dani Samuels was the first to back off. She cited health and safety concerns and Australian’s sports minister Mark Arbib has said more Australian athletes might follow. Nigerian born English world triple jump champion Philip Idowu has also pulled out from the event based on security concerns.
These athletes may have seen the writing on the wall before now, that the games will be flanked by series of controversies and fears. The peace of the grave yard existing between India and Pakistan may have convinced them on what the al-Kaida terrorist group can do even with the security India clamed she has put on ground. The security fears were heightened last week when two tourists were wounded by gunmen on a motorcycle near the Jama Masjid mosque in the capital, New Delhi. Two other members of the England team, Nigerian born Christine Ohuruogu who is 400 metre champion and Lisa Dobriskey who competes in the 1,500 metres have also pulled out.
Apart from individual pull outs, countries like Scotland, England, Wales Australia and New Zealand are threatening to withdraw their athletes if nothing serious is done to clear the piles of rubble and filths that have made the games village unsafe to occupy. For New Zealand, their worry is on security. Sri Lanka shares the same concern with New Zealand. The attack on her cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan in March last year is still fresh in their mind. Six policemen and a bus driver were killed when the Sri Lankan cricket team were ambushed. Seven cricketers and assistant coach Paul Farbrace were injured. Sri Lanka still have at the back of their mind another terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
