Delhi Commonweatlh games: Would you go?

[auscyclefan94]

A big issue in the news atm is the safety of the athletes at the upcoming commonwealth games. The stadiums are falling apart, disease is rampant and threats of terrorism is high. If you were an athlete would you go to these Games in a country which is very corrupt?

 

[L'arriviste]

Not if they run their sporting events like their IT projects...

 

[Signor Corleone]

Signor Corleone

Not bloody likely!!!

 

[Spare Tyre]

I hope people will be prepared to put up with less than glossily perfect.

Actual danger is something else. I don't think people who rely on the media for their information can properly assess any risk.








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Pretend sig: C'arn the Saints!

 

[The Hitch]

I never like the Commonwealth games because Britain makes a big deal out of getting medals there, despite the fact that all the competition has been taken out.

But a quick point about your comment that India is corrupt.

I dont know what the situation with the stadiums is, and if there is really some sudden outbreak of disease that will prove a danger to the athletes then i have not heard of it either. What i will say is that India is a far less corrupt and more prosporous country than the one which for example held the 1980 olympic games, and definately as far as corruption goes, it can not even compare with the country which just hosted the most recent olympics. You want corruption, see the millions who suffered as a result of the chinese government directing huge funds to build a state of the art stadium, and for firework displays. See the deals with Nike which included using their secret police to try to find someone who was spreading rumours.
See the people being kicked out by force from shanty towns in South Africa which were near stadiums of hotels for the footballing gods, so tht Fifa can make even more money, and so Blatter could stuff his fat _ mouth with a nobel peace prize.

Delhi perhaps may not have been the best city, but India is rightfully called the worlds largest democracy. It is far less corrupt than the 3 examples i mentioned.

 

[supercameron]

cricket teams have been doing it for decades without any major problems
they just call the problems with diseases delhi belly and have to deal with getting mobbed in the streets

 

[movingtarget]

I would not go for a variety of reasons, all recently well documented. The Commonwealth Games is a relic and should be discontinued. The biggest nations do not compete and it is a competition that is not needed. Every sport has world titles every year and the Olympics every four years as well as national championships, continental championships and it goes on.

For the ridiculous amount of money spent in India they could have done something useful and built low cost housing or improved water and sanitation in a big way for the locals. The heads of world sporting bodies always go on about how hosting large sporting events will push through valuable social changes for the locals. Does it ? Usually it takes years for the hosts to pay off the costs and the social changes are negligible.

 

[Anonymous]

YES and NO

Seems like two questions in the, needing two answers.

YES I would go to Delhi. I lived there for a year back in the '70s. I know it has changed, but if you give it a chance (and boil your water) it is still a wonderful place with many great people.

NO I would not go to Delhi. WTF are Commonwealth Games? A chance for ex-colonials to relive the Glory Days of the British Empire and show how much they appreciate what the British Islanders have done for them? Morris dancing makes more sense. If you want to study corruption read about "The Raj" in India. The Brits wrote the book.

 

[Izzy eviel]

I like the Commonwealth games. Gives the smaller countries a chance to showcase their talent & culture on the world stage. Also gives the younger athletes a chance to prove themselves & get themselves noticed.

 

[Spare Tyre]

Seems like two questions in the, needing two answers.

YES I would go to Delhi. I lived there for a year back in the '70s. I know it has changed, but if you give it a chance (and boil your water) it is still a wonderful place with many great people.

NO I would not go to Delhi. WTF are Commonwealth Games? A chance for ex-colonials to relive the Glory Days of the British Empire and show how much they appreciate what the British Islanders have done for them? Morris dancing makes more sense. If you want to study corruption read about "The Raj" in India. The Brits wrote the book.

Possibly, although apart from the Brits I doubt many of the competitors know much about the British Empire. They're just something we grow up with, like the Olympics.

I quite like them. They're less of a circus than the Olympics, they seem to be on a more human scale, and there's a less cut-throat atmosphere. They mightn't get the world's absolute best athletes in all events, but there is a high standard nonetheless.

 

[Anonymous]

Think they are pointless, a low quality sports event that reminds us all how britain murdered its way across the globe invading countries. Whilst i know many of those countries now succeed because of the commonwealth it is a sad reminder of britains colonial past.

 

[sublimit]

Despite being a massive sports fan I've never really got the Commonwealth Games.
Its a glorified school sports day and a chance for journalists , administrators, and one or two half decent sportsmen/women to leave the country for no particular reason.

 

[Anonymous]

Let's see:

Games due to start in a week, athlete's village still not complete and a pedestrian bridge, newly completed, just fell down.

Reports of Dengue fever.

I will not be surprised if in the next week, they aren't just cancelled.


There was a piece on the news the other night about the Canadian delegation going to the Village to inspect their accomodation before the athlete's start arriving. No plumbing and no running water.


Nice.

 

[Izzy eviel]

Think they are pointless, a low quality sports event that reminds us all how britain murdered its way across the globe invading countries. Whilst i know many of those countries now succeed because of the commonwealth it is a sad reminder of britains colonial past.

A bit harsh. Every major country has a dodgy past. If you're going to have that attitude with all sports events you'll have to turn the Tv off.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I do think the comm games are a joke but the track cycling is always good as a strong field always turns up except Hoy is not going to these games.

 

[ttrider]

shows what happens if you hold a major event in an Asian country, DONT they have niether the culture infastructure or ability to pull it off with any success

This mistake wont be repeated for a while to come

 

[auscyclefan94]

shows what happens if you hold a major event in an Asian country, DONT they have niether the culture infastructure or ability to pull it off with any success

This mistake wont be repeated for a while to come

Brings you back to Beijing...London should be good even though it has a smaller budget.

 

[ttrider]

Well i didnt want to categorize it into religions but there were major scandals in Beijing lets not forget

 

[Izzy eviel]

Brings you back to Beijing...London should be good even though it has a smaller budget.

London won't be very good. The transport system can barely cope as it is. No doubt the Tube workers will be on strike because they only got a 10% pay rise, have to work more then 2 hours a day and someone brought the wrong brand of tea bags for the staff canteen.

 

[Anonymous]

Well i didnt want to categorize it into religions but there were major scandals in Beijing lets not forget

And i disagree with the olympics in beijing based on chinas horrendous human rights records as well.

 

[pedaling squares]

I'm not prepared to say 'go vs stay' based on a couple of media reports. Every major games has controversies in the lead up phase. I'll wait and see what the conditions are really like. Except Beijing maybe, because they wiped out anything that could have gone wrong including the clouds. But remember Athens?

As for the worthiness of the games, they aren't much different from the Pan-Am games, the Asian games, or other region competitions. It's funny to read comments about them being too small when there were so many comments about the Olympics being too big.

And the politics... come on they're just athletic competitions. Borders don't change based on medal count.

 

[Dalakhani]

IMO, if England goes and Scotland doesn't, Glasgow should lose the 2018 games.

If you don't support someone else's games (at least, as much as the next country), you shouldn't have the right to be a host.

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

photos from the athletes village
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9025907.stm

 

[Hugh Januss]

photos from the athletes village
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9025907.stm

Luxury! Why, when we went to the Commonwealth games we were housed in a carboard box at the bottom of a lake.

 

[auscyclefan94]

IMO, if England goes and Scotland doesn't, Glasgow should lose the 2018 games.

If you don't support someone else's games (at least, as much as the next country), you shouldn't have the right to be a host.

Steve

Rubbish! Gkasgow will be able to provide proper facilities for the athletes and put on a much safer (in many different facets) games which the athletes will enjoy.

photos from the athletes village
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9025907.stm

Simply disgusting.