By all accounts, the Commonwealth Games entrusted to the capital city of one of the most
influential countries around is going to be a profound disappointment. Already it has shown this mighty nation in a poor light. Admittedly Westerners can be fussy but they are entitled to expect high standards. After all they come not as curious visitors but as elite performers.
Of course it is still possible that India might pull it off. Experience with cricket grounds indicates that locals can work miracles at the last minute. Examining facilities two days before the match is due to begin is like studying an incomplete Picasso; its all squiggles and odd shapes. Somehow it comes together.
Of course it is still possible that India might pull it off. Experience with cricket grounds indicates that locals can work miracles at the last minute. Examining facilities two days before the match is due to begin is like studying an incomplete Picasso; its all squiggles and odd shapes. Somehow it comes together.
Every nation is different. Greeks drink strong coffee, South Americans listen to jazz till dawn. Germans rise on organisation, Australians relish regulation. By the look of things Indians respond only to a crisis. In an attempt to rescue the situation Manmohan Singh is putting his shoulder to the wheel. But the involvement of an esteemed and busy leader confirms the parlous state of preparations.
Meanwhile reporters rail against the strategy of putting the Games in the hands of corrupt and sluggish public officials and not private enterprise. A proud nation feels that it has been let down. If the Games go badly then it might signify the long awaited demise of old India. In that case dismay may once again be the mother of progress.
Other countries have met the challenge of hosting major international events. Doubtless locals admired the way South Africa staged the recent football World Cup. Against most predictions, Greece held a superb Olympics. Now Brazil has been given responsibility for the next edition of the football World Cup. Of course it will be a triumph. Brazil is mad for the game and will not tolerate anything else.
Now it is India's turn to stand up. Of course it has held many previous meetings of all descriptions and ended with ribbons.
India's first cricket World Cup was the most enjoyable in memory. All the more reason to rage at the current squalor. Sometimes to smile and shrug is to patronise.
India's response to the slipshod organisation has been encouraging. In the past locals might have been offended by the bad reviews. Now they condemn not the critics but their own leaders. A modern, ambitious country has emerged in the last few years, one unwilling to tolerate third rate service.
According to McKinsey's, in the next 15 years 291 million Indians will move from poverty to a sustainable lifestyle whilst the middle class will increase from 50 million to 583 million people. That changes everything. Muddling along is no longer enough. Perhaps the Games will surpass expectations. After all there is a warmth in this country that raises the spirit even as it exhausts the body. Regardless, the setbacks are not acceptable.
Certainly cricket followers are entitled to demand that their forthcoming World Cup be a resounding success. The BCCI has plenty of money. Anything less ought to lead to widespread resignations. Top class facilities are required — for players, public and press. Brown bags and last minute rescue missions ought to be things of the past.
Sport has been a laggard in India. An abundance of scientists, economists, businessmen, writers and thinkers have emerged. Many prestigious prizes have been won. But sport continues to depend not on the excellence of the structures but on the brilliance of the individual.
Indian teams succeed despite the system not because of it. That cannot be tolerated a moment longer. A revolution is needed.
Delhi is merely an illustration of a malaise India outgrew long ago.
The Hindu
