Commonwealth Games may be cancelled

Why couldn’t the crisis that is the Commonwealth Games have happened while the players were at the World Cup in South Africa this summer. Of course, I don’t mean the roof caving in at the weightlifting arena, or the bridge linking the athletes village with the stadium collapsing, I mean the living conditions that are apparently not fit for westerners. Some reports have even told of there being excrement smeared up the walls and the odour of urine in the air, but who wouldn’t want the world’s highly paid and pampered footballers in this atmosphere? A bout of Delhi-belly never hurt anyone did it.

It is easy to joke about these things, but the Commonwealth Games Federation have scored somewhat of an own goal here. It’s true that India has had the best part of seven years to prepare for the games but it’s not the most developed of countries and if the reports that the organizers requested a traditional experience are true then they should be made to stay in the village themselves.

The poor conditions have already forced a few athletes to pull out, and a decision on whether the event will even go ahead are to be made within the next 48 hours.