Indian players voice concern over Commonwealth Games

Several Indian sportspersons have expressed their anxiety over constant complaints about the ensuing Commonwealth Games to be staged in New Delhi.

Saina Nehwal, the Indian badminton champion, presently ranked number 3 in the world too shared these sentiments on the sidelines of a function at Mumbai on Thursday.

The games have been in controversy with pullout of International sportspersons, citing reasons of hygiene and security.

Photographs and videos of animal footprints on the bed, excreta on the racetrack and disabled lavatories came as a rude shock to the Indian government and the organisers of the games in particular.

The footbridge that collapsed a couple of days ago near the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, the main venue for the track and field events as well as the opening and closing ceremonies has supplemented the worries of the Organising committee.

A day later, a portion of the false ceiling at the weightlifting arena further raised the controversy over the quality of construction.

In the backdrop of these trends, Saina Nehwal said the pullout of international champions citing lack of hygiene and security was very disappointing.

"It does not look good when such issues do the rounds like the pullout of international players. Finally, my work is to go there and play well but it will only look better when we face a tough competition and all sportspersons come to play," Nehwal said.

"Sometimes it makes me sad but at the same time it makes me happy because we hosting such a huge tournament. So, the expectations are that players who are better than us come to play and the players from abroad give us a tough fight as well. That's is when spectators want to come and watch us play," said Saina Nehwal, badminton player," she added.

Players from other cities too expressed similar views over the callous role of administration towards the games.

For instance, Chandigarh-based Sabeeha Dhillon, an ace shooter observed the excessive amount of negative reporting in the Indian and international media was not proving to be of any help.

"Why are we cribbing now when the games are right on our head? These things should be taken care of at the base level, not at the level when almost everything is done. You cannot do anything right now," Dhillon said.

"The best part is to do when anyone is constructing, whenever the government is doing anything, one should check there and then in the beginning, what exactly are the steps to be taken, where is the money and the funds are going. Instead of cribbing at the later end when everything is done," she added.

"Now our people are saying this has been done wrong, things are falling, and people are dying. Why are you cribbing now? You should have said things a year back or two years back when all of it started," noted Sabeeha Dhillon, champion shooter," Dhillon said.

The event, already the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever with official estimates of three billion dollars, has been marred by charges of rampant corruption, dubious contracts and poor workmanship in the past few months.

Apart from around 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states, New Delhi is expecting a huge influx of sports enthusiasts and tourists during the games.

On Thursday, more nations delayed their teams' arrivals for the games as organisers raced against time to address security and health concerns of the participants.

New Zealand joined Canada and Scotland in delaying its arrival in New Delhi due to what it termed as poor accommodation for athletes, compounded by heavy monsoon rains.