I used to love sport, especially the big events such as the Olympics, World Cup and Commonwealth Games, (though I remember them as the Empire Games). I still do love sport, though match fixing and the inevitable doping scandals, have somewhat diminished my enthusiasm. Which brings me to the Commonwealth Games, to be held in New Delhi. A games that was doomed from the start.One has to wonder what went on in the backrooms and hotel bars that brought - or bought about the decision to hold such a large event in such a volatile environment.
Delhi was never going to succeed. Anyone who has ever done business with Indian bureaucracy knows that nothing ever happens without the greasing of palms. The only winners in Delhi will be government officials and public service Mandarins.
The people certainly will not benefit. I don't see the child laborers carrying hods of bricks under the watchful eye of an overseer with a large stick, smiling with gratitude. The unskilled, slave labor used to construct stadia that will only provide short-term accommodation for over inflated egos, could have been better spent on building projects to alleviate the chronic over-crowding seen in most Indian cities.
The powers that be must have known this would happen. If they could not foresee that human misery, corruption, and farcical bureaucracy under the captaincy of a Prime Minister who finds it hard to make tough decisions in a crisis, would beset these games from the outset, then they have no place in high level administration in any field.
Is there any useful purpose to these games? A host of star athletes are missing, and the US couldn't really give a toss about what to them, is little more than a school sports day - lacking any real marquee competitors.
As far as I am concerned, the only reason to hold these games is to give Australians the opportunity to see us beating the Poms and Kiwis:) And if winners aren't real Aussies, then in true Aussie sprit, we will make them one (until of course they start losing!)
Related i On Global Trends article India: CWG - Dr.Manmohan Singh must stop dithering and take control of a sinking ship
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