With just over a week to go before the start of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the news just goes from bad to worse. ‘Terrorism’ has been mentioned for months in the lead up to the games, with warnings of an imminent attack. And just two weeks out, these threats were realised when a tourist bus came under fire.
If these threats weren’t enough of a concern, health issues began surfacing with an outbreak of dengue fever reported in Delhi.
Alarm bells were ringing about whether Delhi would be able to finish building the venues in time for the start of the Games on October 3. Now the question needs to be asked: are these venues even safe?
Already a bridge has collapsed near the main stadium, and only a day later, parts of a roof collapsed at the new weightlifting venue.
After the poor judgement in handing the games to India, it seems highly unlikely that the Commonwealth Games Federation would make a sensible decision to call off the Games, or at the very least, postpone them.
The ultimate question must be asked though: are the Commonwealth Games really worth it??
It can be hard to judge whether the Australian public’s interest in the Commonwealth Games is still existent. Perhaps the Australian media’s negative focus on the Delhi Games is a sign of Australia’s waning interest.
The Melbourne 2006 Opening Ceremony was the fourth most watch program of the last decade with a total of 3.56 million viewers. But this was a home Games, so can we really judge this as a fair representation?
For many sports the Commonwealth Games is not the pinnacle, for some even Olympic Gold falls short of what athletes strive for. Athletes have already begun pulling out, signaling that it really is not worth it. So is there still a place for the Commonwealth Games?
No matter what happens from here on in, the Delhi 2010 situation has already become a farce and may just have erased any appreciation or relevance the Commonwealth Games may have still had.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland will certainly have to put on a show to gain back some dignity. And with Gold Coast bidding for the 2018 event, Australia’s enthusiasm for the Commonwealth Games could certainly be sustained.
But it still doesn’t mean it should be.
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