BoxRec

I was initially touch concerned with security. Since then I've become more than touch concerned.
Given all the media reports & Foreign Affairs advice http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/ ... lhi,_India
Do you think our punchers should withdraw from the games??

IMHO, YES!!

I think we should consider withdrawing altogether. If they can't build a bridge without it falling down then....... :?? :?? :??

Yep, I think every athlete should withdraw. If the athletes village is plagued with stray dogs that have dedicated in all the rooms and also the Indian workers have been allowed to sleep on the athletes beds I would say those hygiene concerns are enough not to go, let alone then dengue fever at epidemic proportions.

That is even before we get into the dodgy construction, and oh yeah the recent shooting of tourists!!!

I say everyone should follow Dani Samuel's lead and boycott the games.

bollox wrote:I think we should consider withdrawing altogether. If they can't build a bridge without it falling down then....... :?? :?? :??

With all the issues at hand, if they can't build a bridge, then how can we get over it? I don't think we should be sending a team, but then, if countries boycott due to primarily terrorist concerns, the terrorists' have won

dberry wrote:

bollox wrote:I think we should consider withdrawing altogether. If they can't build a bridge without it falling down then....... :?? :?? :??

With all the issues at hand, if they can't build a bridge, then how can we get over it? I don't think we should be sending a team, but then, if countries boycott due to primarily terrorist concerns, the terrorists' have won

nice

I thought you'd like.

I just left Delhi a couple of months ago. We lived there for a couple of years and all we head about was the Commonwealth Games. It was a major reason for the crazy traffic jams while there.

To say this is concerning is an understatement. I had a gut feeling that this would be Delhi's "coming out party" in the same way that Beijing did for the Olympics in 2008. My thought was that if the Commonwealth Games went well, then Delhi would bid for the 2020 Olympics.

With that said:

- They have known about the hosting since 2003 and only began major construction in 2008

- The construction was poorly planned so now they are under the gun so to find more construction workers they have been using children from the poorer sections of the country to complete tasks like setting down new sidewalks. Major issue in the papers before we left.

- The construction sites have no drainage. Since the monsoons have been really tough this year, the standing water has caused a MAJOR increase in dengue fever rates.

- The most basic infrastructures made (like the footbridge that fell yesterday) are crumbling.

- It is actually the norm for the construction workers to live within the dwellings they build while they are being put together. Therefore, if the buildings have no plumbing, there should be no surprise regarding the state of the athlete's village.

- In March (or was it April) I started asking around at the school I worked at if once the Games are completed if our Physical Education department could purchase some stuff once the Games were completed. Specifically, I was seeking hurdles and a wrestling mat. I received no answers. One of my friends worked in PR in Delhi and asked their contacts within the Games's media/public relations office about what they were going to do with the equipment once it was over. They were told "we'll get back to you". Still awaiting that call....(My suspicion is that they had not purchased the equipment yet and thus had no answers what to do with them when the Games were over. However, it should be no surprise they had not ordered the equipment since the buildings are not done yet....after all, where would you put the equipment if the buildings are not done yet?)

- I have a feeling many more athletes will drop out. After all, with such a huge dengue fear right now....it would be a shame if someone favored to win a medal in the London Olympics in 2012 were to get dengue fever during the commonwealth games. Dengue will wipe months off their training plans.

- I predicted before I left in June that the Commonwealth Games will still happen, but I would not doubt if a few sports would be cut from the schedule. After all, I am sure some of the event buildings are not done yet (the weightlifting venue's ceiling fell this week.

- Lastly, I think India will win lots of medals.

Thanks for your insights zojo

Thanks for that zojo.

- Lastly, I think India will win lots of medals.

Especially when they will be probably be the only nation silly enough left competing.

As a back up plan they could always use the London 2012 olympic site. Even though they are 85% complete two years out I suspect it would be in a better state then Delhi!!!

zojo, wrote:the weightlifting venue's ceiling fell this week.

ra2006 wrote:As a back up plan they could always use the London 2012 olympic site. Even though they are 85% complete two years out I suspect it would be in a better state then Delhi!!!

Scotland has stated that their facilities are ready (they are hosting the next Commonwealth games). Australia hosted the last one and their facilities are still able to be used.

Plus, unlike the Olympics, the hosts of the Commonwealth Games and can and chose sports that will compete. For instances, during the last Commonwealth Games, Melbourne did NOT have wrestling as part of the Games (when I complained about that to an Aussie Commonwealth Games Committee member at a dinner one evening I got a nice bottle of wine to stop my whining). Delhi, on the other hand, will have wrestling since India has a strong wrestling team (their 66 kilo guy won the world championships last week).

I suspect if India drop sports from the Games, it will be ones that India will not do well in anyway (i.e. rugby). Plus, as someone stated above, since many top athletes may not come, India's top athletes will therefore win many medals.

Yep! Indians love wrestling.
Pradeep, in tonite's fight with Soliman, was close to DQ for it

It's not looking good for the commonwealth games, but I would take whatever the media is saying and divide the hysteria by a factor of about 10 or 20.

I know when I was deployed with the ADF to Timor my Mum was petrified because of what she saw on the news, but we were there and driving all over the countryside without any sort of armour in absolute safety.

The media makes places like East Timor and Afghanistan seem at least 20 times worse than it actually is. I suspect that India is no different.

I think the aussie team should go.

athletes could try scooting off to the Holiday Inn or 5 star hotel to take a shit.... the toilets are first class in them posh places.

Aussies are OK. Red Head's majority government has issued each athlete with 5 Star

Problem with Delhi is basically too many Indians, not enough chiefs!

speak to the bookies-- reward for effort :)

I dont know if id want to be over there. Im sure there will be a terrorist attack somewhere.

I cant believe they gave the games to India in the first place.

I wouldnt go there if they paid me.

Everything thats happened so far should be enough reason to withdraw everyone.

well as for people who don't want to go...don't go..... can't force any ones hand. find someone who wants to go, in the pecking order of merit and let them go..... as far as terror attacks go London will be no safer than India-- or will it be worse off as far as terror threats go? Thing is when bombs go off in London no other country issues a travel warning but if it happens in the "third" world there is sure fire travel warning.... oh well, maybe the athletes should sleep on the road, shit in a river and disguise themselves as beggars?

What about the terror of a gigantic turd in the toilet bowl, when it's not your own

bollox wrote:What about the terror of a gigantic turd in the toilet bowl, when it's not your own

Please read above: shit in the river and not in a toilet bowl

Help is on the way with: monkeys; snake charmers and cowboys to the rescue:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/ne ... letes.html

Only problem will be in protecting the guard monkeys from the snakes, but mongooses are not in short supply in Delhi, unlike the toilet paper.