September 6, 2010

Commonwealth Games, Nicolas Duncan

Five weeks before the event begins on October 3rd and runs through October 14th organizers for the The Commonwealth Games are worried over whether or not complexes, venues, and stadiums will be completed in time for the opening ceremonies. The Commonwealth Games play host to more 7,000 athletes from 71 countries and territories every four years. India won the bid on November 13, 2003 to play host for the nineteenth edition of the event. However, seven years after winning the bid and with only a few weeks to go before the beginning of the games things are looking bleak in New Dehli. With only five weeks to go plans for security and medical care haven’t been finalized and with several venues still dormant construction sites some organizers are beginning to worry. Some officials are beginning to speculate that teams could begin withdrawing or the event could be called off all together. However it is difficult to simply call off an event of this size. The Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper stated "We have to continue to push our concerns at the highest level and you can't get higher than the Cabinet office of the country and the prime minister,”. The games were an opportunity for India to exhibit their emerging power however; the games have more in turn displayed problems in the developing country.