Tag Archive for 'footbridge collapse'

Commonwealth Games: England chief expects more athletes to pull out

Published on September 22, 2010 in India and Sport. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

From The Guardian:

The fate of the Commonwealth Games in India is hanging in the balance after leading nations expressed concern over the state of facilities.

Sir Andrew Foster, chairman of the England team, said it remained “very concerned” over the state of facilities, while the Scotland team delayed its departure for Delhi. Foster said the team still required assurances from organisers over the athletes’ village and the games arenas. He added that a final decision would have to be made over the next few days. “All options remain open,” he said.

The ultimate option would be pulling out of the tournament entirely but Foster said Team England was “not there yet”. He also said he expected more English athletes may still choose to pull out of the games unilaterally. The first 22 members of the England team will fly to Delhi tomorrow as planned.

India’s prime minister, Manmohan Singh, prepared for a round of crisis talks and the Welsh team set organisers a deadline to prove the venues and athletes’ village were fit for use.

Foster earlier said the future of the event remained “on a knife edge”, 11 days before the opening ceremony. More:

CWG: A mad scramble to the finish line

Published on September 22, 2010 in Sport. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Less than two weeks to go before the Commonwealth Games, touted as India’s showcase event to the world, begin and there is a feeling of events spiralling out of control in New Delhi: tourists being shot, a footbridge collapsing, incessant rains and, now, a sleeping dog. Clearly, things are less than ready. In New York Times, Heather Timmons:

Skepticism about India’s preparedness for the Commonwealth Games deepened Tuesday after a partly constructed footbridge collapsed outside the main arena for competition, injuring dozens. 

The collapse coincided with angry words from visiting officials who described the accommodations for athletes as uninhabitable. One visitor, the head of the New Zealand delegation, even raised the possibility that the games might be delayed or canceled.

India’s failure to complete the work for the games, which are to begin Oct. 3 and last for two weeks, has become a major embarrassment for the country instead of a showcase for its rising economic might. The unspoken comparison to India’s rival China, which won widespread acclaim from its preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics, are a further source of humiliation. more

Also read Heather Timmons’ earlier article: All is Ready for Big Games in India, Except what Isn’t