The Games were supposed to enhance India's image of a rising
power, but shoddy construction, filthy accommodation and security fears have
underlined governance and accountability issues, hurting the runaway pride of
Asia's third largest economy.
Several top athletes, including world champion sprinter
Usain Bolt, have pulled out, taking away some of the shine from the event held
every four years for former British colonies.
Two more Australian athletes, cyclist Travis Meyer and table
tennis player Stephanie Sang, pulled out on Sunday. This comes a day after
Britain's number one tennis player Elena Baltacha withdrew because of concerns
about disease and hygiene.
On Sunday, Indian organizing committee officials met to
review the work at the Games Village where masons plastered walls while workers
struggled to dry out the basement of the Village, which sits on the flooded
plains of the Yamuna River.
"All finishing work is going on in full swing,"
said Dalbir Singh, mayor of the Games Village where the athletes will stay.
"It's a world class facility with some minor issues and
work is going on to fix those problems." Indeed, most of the 34 apartment
blocs are gleaming and spacious and fitted with Italian marble. But much of
what is good about the facility has been overshadowed by athletes' complaints
of filth and unfinished work in some of the living quarters.
South Africa's High Commissioner to India Harris Majeke told
reporters a snake had been found in the room of an athlete at the Games village.
"That was really a threat to the lives of our
athletes," he said, complaining of filth in the living quarters.
"When everything is done, then we will ask our teams to come." The
Times Now news channel said about 150 rooms meant for athletes were unlivable.
Indian boxer Akhil Kumar was in shock when his bed caved in on Saturday. It was
found the mattress had just been placed on the bed frame without any support
underneath.
"Laborers have done a very bad job. They had spit
'paan' (chewing tobacco) on the walls, stains of which are almost irremovable,"
Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the Games organizing committee, told Reuters.
"We are identifying rooms which are dirty and shutting
them down. But we have adequate rooms so there is nothing to worry." The
Games are estimated to have cost $6 billion. India was awarded them in 2003 but
did not begin proper preparations until two years ago. Michael Fennell, chief
of Commonwealth Games Federation, has said India's image has taken a beating.
Athletes from 11 countries have arrived so far and
contingents from seven more nations, including New Zealand and Canada, which
had delayed their arrival, are expected on Sunday.
The English team, which had checked into hotels because
their accommodation was not ready, began moving some support staff into the
Village on Sunday. The athletes will follow on Monday.
"Work is on track. About 66 flats will be handed over
by tomorrow (Monday) and everything will be complete by Wednesday," Delhi
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters.
India had hoped to use the Games to display its growing
global economic and political influence, rivaling neighbor China that put on a
spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Instead, they have become a major embarrassment for the
world's largest democracy, where infrastructure projects have progressed slowly
and are a drag on economic growth.
Desperate officials on Friday asked the Indian Army to build
a temporary bridge to replace the $1.1 million footbridge that collapsed last
week. The bridge, providing access to the main Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, should
be finished within five days.
The bridge collapse and a suspected militant attack on two
foreign visitors threw the Games into crisis. An outbreak of dengue has only
compounded worries.
India removes snakes, filth to ready Games village
Publication Date:
Sun, 2010-09-26 21:01
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