Crisis Raises Questions Over Viability of Delhi Games

COLLAPSE: Indian workers gather after a collapsed footbridge at the Jawaharlal Stadium in New Delhi on Sept. 21, the main venue for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. The games are set to begin Oct. 3. (Raveendran/Getty Images )

The collapse of a footbridge near the site where, in 48 hours time, some 6,500 athletes will be staying has raised concerns over the viability of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The incident comes after complaints by team delegates, who say that the athletes’ accommodations are filthy and unfit for human habitation.

The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, involve teams from 51 former British Commonwealth countries in the third-largest multi-sport event behind the Summer Olympics and the Asian Games.

India was awarded the games back in 2003, but with less than 12 days to go and the majority of the athletes’ village still incomplete, many are questioning whether the event will go ahead.

The footbridge near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was at a later stage of construction. At least 23 people were injured when it collapsed on Tuesday, police said.

Team leaders from England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada have expressed “grave concern” over the quality of the accommodation for athletes, who will start to arrive in just 48 hours time.

Much of the plumbing and electrical work remains incomplete, and the Times of India reported that just 18 of the 34 towers at the village have been completed.

When the event was awarded to India seven years ago, it was touted as a means of showcasing the country’s rising economic power.

However, the concerns over incomplete buildings have highlighted how large-scale construction projects in the country are often delayed by political infighting and corruption.

Commonwealth Games Scotland issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday saying that the accommodation earmarked for its team was “unsafe and unfit for human habitation.”

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“Representation has been made to the Commonwealth Games Federation to make a realistic decision as to at what point and under what conditions they would determine whether the games will be able to go ahead should the village issues not be resolved,” the statement said.

In a separate statement, Commonwealth Games England said that it was “optimistic” that its team would still take part.

“However, there is a lot still to be done in the village and this needs to be done with some urgency so that it is ready for the arrival of our first athletes on Friday,” the statement said.

Michael Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, has written to the Indian cabinet secretary expressing concern about the village.

“The village is the cornerstone of any games and the athletes deserve the best possible environment to prepare for their competition,” he was quoted as saying.

“Many nations that have already sent their advanced parties to set up within the village have made it abundantly clear that as of the afternoon of Sept. 20, the Commonwealth Games village is seriously compromised.”

Dave Currie, the head of the New Zealand team, expressed doubt as to whether the games would be likely to happen at all.

“The way things are looking, it’s not up to scratch. The reality is that if the village is not ready and athletes can’t come, the implications are that it’s not going to happen,” he told Radio New Zealand.

However, Lalit Bhanot, secretary general of the organizing committee, said that everything would be ready within the next 36 hours.

He said that the perception of the cleanliness of the accommodations may be due to higher standards in the West.

“According to us the room may be clean, but the foreign officials may require a certain standard of cleanliness and hygiene that may differ from our standards,” he told a news conference.

“We are on the job and everyone is working day and night.”