| Mauer power: Twins rout White Sox, take commanding lead in AL Central Joe Mauer had three hits, including a three-run homer, and the Minnesota Twins took a commanding eight-game lead in the AL Central with a 9-3 ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Dileep Premachandran: Games' chaos damns India Perhaps a proper fiasco is needed for the sports federations to finally start afreshAfter a section of false ceiling near the weightlifting stage at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium collapsed this morning, news channels here simply rehashed the stories they had done 24 hours earlier, when a footbridge fell down near the stadium leaving at least five workers critically injured. Every farce requires a pantomime villain, and the Commonwealth Games has one in Suresh Kalmadi, the son of a Maharashtrian freedom fighter who is chairman of the organising committee, while at the same time serving his fourth term as president of the Indian Olympic Association.As the Games lurches from one infrastructure mishap to another, amid allegations that the athletes village is beyond filthy, Kalmadi is a convenient whipping boy. But the organising committee is not the only culprit. Most of the stadiums for the games come under the control of the Sports Authority of India, which is run by the sports ministry. According to the original schedule, work on the stadiums was to be finished by January and then handed over to the organising committee for the final touches – wiring, cabling and Wi-Fi.The organising committee finally took charge of the venues on 25 July. Work was not complete, but if the handover had not been made the games would have been called off. So after unjustifiable delays, MS Gill, the sports minister, talks of "world-class stadiums", while the organising committee carries the can for every subsequent fiasco.The Delhi games are massively over budget. For a poor country with little grassroots sporting infrastructure – PT Usha, who so nearly won 400m hurdles bronze at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, has to beg and borrow funds for her athletics school – it is hard to see the games as anything but a white elephant.But having beaten Canada to stage the games in 2003, what was the government doing for so long? Construction started only in 2008 and the delays and poor preparation have been exacerbated by the arrogance and stupidity of some officials. When Michael Fennell, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, complained about cleanliness in the village – with reports of human waste in sinks – the organising committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot said: "Everyone has a different standard of cleanliness. The rooms of the Games village are clean according to you and me, but they have some other standard of cleanliness."The fiasco is a microcosm of all that ails Indian sport. The country's athletic failings can be summed up in one word: politicians. Every champion, whether that's Abhinav Bindra at the Beijing Olympics or Vishy Anand in chess, has been successful despite the system – not because of it.Other sports have been ruined by organisational incompetence. "India has huge numbers, huge resources, and gifted players," said Ric Charlesworth, one of world hockey's great thinkers, when interviewed by Inside Sport a few years ago. "But they don't have the organisation, the discipline, the tactics – things that are important for the team to be successful. They have been unwilling to embrace anybody from outside, or take on other ideas. The game is evolving and even if India has gifted players, that isn't enough."The same applies to every sport. More often than not, federations are run by political sycophants with no passion for the game, or empathy for the athletes. Contracts and tenders are given to friends and acquaintances. When coaches such as Charlesworth are employed, they are not used properly.It would be a massive loss of face if the Games were taken away or if they were anything other than a success. But for the sake of future generations, perhaps we should hope that it all goes belly up. Only then might we see a generation of parasites evicted from the rotting carcass that they have reduced Indian sport to.Commonwealth Games 2010IndiaDileep Premachandranguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Duke, NCSU hoopsters on watch list College basketball is big business in the Triangle because of the talent that Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State have boasted over the years. And it looks like this will be another profitable season, both on the court and at the box office, based on the 2010-11 Wooden Award Watch list. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Longoria, Pena muscle up for Rays, force Game 5 vs. Rangers Evan Longoria snapped out of his postseason slump with a homer and two doubles, Carlos Pena had a pair of extra-base hits and the Tampa Bay Rays ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Kaymer is crowned king of Europe • German top after Graeme McDowell is out of first three • Lee Westwood looks set to retain world No1 positionMartin Kaymer joined the greats of European golf by winning the 2010 money-list crown on the final day of the season at the Dubai World Championship.The German was guaranteed the spot as Europe's No1 and the prize of $1.5 million (£960,000) for topping the Race to Dubai while still out on the course when his only rival for the title, Graeme McDowell, finished down the field at the Greg Norman-designed Earth course.McDowell needed a top-three result to overhaul Kaymer at the summit of the money list but could manage only a closing 68 for a six-under-par tally of 282.Kaymer follows in the footsteps of heavyweights such as Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie by ending the season as European No1.GolfMartin KaymerGraeme McDowellguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |