An Indian anti-corruption body reported that it had found a host of problems in construction work for the Games, including the use of poor-quality materials and dubious contracts. Soaring costs and highly publicised delays have led to severe criticism of the organisers, and Coates - a member of the International Olympic Committee executive board - said the fallout would damage India’s reputation for hosting major sports events.
“In the Olympics world we would certainly prefer that venues are all finished one year before, that you’re able to have test events,” said the Australian Olympic Committee president. “We did have some similar experiences with Athens [in 2004] and I’m sure the Games will happen, but certainly I would not like to be involved in something with construction happening so close to the event.”
The October 3-14 event involving 71 nations is already the costliest Commonwealth Games in history, with an infrastructure and organising budget of $2 billion, which unofficial estimates say will be at least tripled.
“In many ways you’re in the hands of organising committees, you’re in the hands of governments, you get to a stage where you have to trust them, you have to back them. There’s no potential to take the Games away; it had to happen in Athens, it has to happen in Delhi and I’m sure it will.”
The chairman of the Games organising committee, Suresh Kalmadi, has also come under intense pressure to step down in the wake of the graft allegations and other complaints. Many sites in the Indian capital still resemble a construction site and monsoon rains have hampered efforts to accelerate the work, just two months before the event.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2010.
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