| ‘SPORTING’
SHAME |
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| -By
Sameer Hashmi |
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In
sligthly less than a year’s
time India would be hosting
the 19th Commonwealth Games
in New Delhi. After the 1982
Asian games, this would be the
biggest sporting event to be
organized by India. But with
the chief of commonwealth games
fedaration (CGF), Mike Fennell,
raising serious concerns about
the preparations, the build
up to the games look very shaky.
Just a year back, China stunned
the world by hosting argubly
the best ever Olympic Games.
It was a grand spectacle that
left the world staggered and
truly proved China’s determination
to emerge as the super power
of this century. The Olympic
Games is a much bigger event
in magnitude compared to the
Commonwealth Games. Rio de Janerio,
Brazil won the bid to host the
2016 Olympic Games setting another
example as to how emerging
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countries are eyeing these major sports
events to showcase their might to the world.
India will be only the 2nd Asian nation
to host the Commonwealth Games. In what
can be termed as a direct competition between
the two emerging superpowers of the world,
two of the biggest sporting events are happening
within a span of two years. The world will
watch closely the Delhi Commonwealth games
to draw conclusions about India’s
might and capability to host major events.
But the problem is not about competing with
China only. Olympic Games & Commonwealth
Games are just not sporting events, but
an opportunity for nations to showcase themselves
to the world. Not to mention the amount
of revenues that flow in the form of tourism
& business.It also gives an opportunity
to bolster the infrastructure of the host
city which benefits millions of people living
in the city.
The current state of infrastructure required
for the games are not at all encouraging.
14 out of 19 stadiums are behind schedule,
the airport enhancement program is lagging
behind and so is the construction of bridges
and roads that will connect the sports village
to the various venues. It is expected that
after the games are over, Delhi will have
47 fly overs & a full fledged metro
service connecting almost the whole of Delhi.
The biggest beneficiaries of this infratsructure
would eventually be the common man. But
with Fennel setting up a technical committee
to monitor the work progress of the Commonwealth
Games is nothing less then an insult for
the government of India. This clearly indicates
the kind of confidence & faith the Commonwealth
games federation has in the Olympic committee
& the Sports ministry. When the Union
Sports Minister MS Gill was quizzed by the
media on this issue, surprisingly the Minister,
who usually has an opinion (sometimes uncalled
for) on everything related to Indian sports,
zipped his mouth. If the sports minister
of India cannot display confidence &
assure that the preparation will be completed
meticulously in time then, how can the federation
have any faith in the organizing committee?
This is the same minister, who lambasted
the greatest woman athlete of this country
PT Usha, when she broke down due to the
ill-treatment by the Sports Authority of
India. This is the same minister, who refused
to recognize Formula 1 racing as a sport.
How does it matter that the viewership for
this sport is one of the highest in the
world and has been picking up constantly
in India. The sports minister has hardly
made any right noises from the time he has
taken over.
However this is a golden opportunity for
MS Gill to go down in history as a successful
‘Sports minister’ of India by
ensuring that the Commonwealth Games are
not only organized smoothly but in the best
possible manner. Not only is the pride of
India riding on the Commonwealth Games but
also the future of Indian sports which has
been one of the most underdeveloped area
of this developing yet ambitious nation. |
