I suppose we should have expected it, but instead of admitting they couldn't organise... the Indians have now decided that criticism of their woefull performance in organising a prestige international sporting event is a conspiracyCriticism a Western conspiracy, says Delhi chief (http://www.smh.com.au/commonwealth-games-2010/comm-games-news/criticism-a-western-conspiracy-says-delhi-chief-20100928-15uq2.html?autostart=1)

So collapsing bridges, disgusting living conditions may be the norm for Indians but they have to expect the rest of us don't live that way. Third world performance is not good enough when you want first world prestige

The real question is... what is the utility in spending $8-10 billion in infrastructure in what amounts to 2 weeks of sporting events that no one cares about ?

Aren't these games the last vestige of the 19th Century empire ?

The real question is ...what is the utility in spending $8-10 billion in infrastructure in what amounts to 2 weeks of sporting events that no one cares about ?

Aren't these games the last vestige of the 19th Century empire ?

Hi Tom,

I agree with your above statement. However, you need to put this into perspective. No matter what sport it is Australians never get sick of beating the Poms.

Regards

Tut

The real question is ...what is the utility in spending $8-10 billion in infrastructure in what amounts to 2 weeks of sporting events that no one cares about ?

Aren't these games the last vestige of the 19th Century empire ?

Very disengenous of you Tom. Just because america doesn't have an empire it can draw together for some friendly games. No, the Commonwealth is a family of nations and it maybe that there will be fewer world records but the athletes work just as hard to win there as anywhereelse. 71 nations will compete and those nations probably represent 2 billion people. This may give you a better understanding
Commonwealth Games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games)

As to the billions spent for two weeks of sport, you should ask the same question next time the olympics come around, particularly the winter olympics

Hi Tom,

you need to put this into perspective. No matter what sport it is Australians never get sick of beating the Poms.

Regards

Tut

That's the right perspective, take every opportinity

Very disengenous of you Tom. Just because america doesn't have an empire it can draw together for some friendly games. No, the Commonwealth is a family of nations and it maybe that there will be fewer world records but the athletes work just as hard to win there as anywhereelse. 71 nations will compete and those nations probally represent 2 billion people. This may give you a better understanding
Commonwealth Games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games)

As to the billions spent for two weeks of sport, you should ask the same question next time the olympics come around, particularly the winter olympics
Here in New York we already have the "Empire State Games" ...they are held in exisiting infrastructure.

Not disengenuos at all. I sent letters and emails to everyone involved opposing the NY City bid for the Olympics . No one was happier than me when Brazil was "awarded " .
The Chinese spent a fortune on the infrastructure for their Olympics . Where is the return ? What are they doing with it now ?

.
The Chinese spent a fortune on the infrastructure for their Olympics . Where is the return ? What are they doing with it now ?

We have benefited greatly from holding the Games both Commonwealth and Olympic, it gets us to tidy up our infrastructure and we do use existing infrastructure when available and it does wonders for tourism. Our Olympic facilities are in use quite frequently, but that is the benefit of having many codes of football and integrating the facilities into other entertainments. It was fortunate we had a parcel of vacant land looking for redevelopment a few miles from Sydney. Wonderful what you can do with a swamp, an old abbatoir and a brickpit if you have some imagination. I think we must have an entirely different view on life.

If the chinese failed to make it work for them don't worry, they are very good a building for the future. As to the subject Indians, we hope they can make it work for them but they do need to accept valid criticism and learn from it. As far as I can tell the only people who haven't criticised the Delhi facilities are the Australian team

Hi Tom,

I agree with your above statement. However, you need to put this into perspective. No matter what sport it is Australians never get sick of beating the Poms.

Regards

Tut

Many may not be familiar with the term POM. It is an alternative name Australians use for the British. No one really knows where the term came from. A couple of possible explanations I know of :

Prisoners Of her/his Majesty

Pomegranate ( a type of fruit )

I suppose there would be satisfaction . Of course you're beating on a shrivelled fruit.

Many may not be familiar with the term POM. It is an alternative name Australians use for the British. No one really knows where the term came from. A couple of possible explanations I know of :

Prisoners Of her/his Majesty

Pomegranate ( a type of fruit )

Just to help those non Australians and perhaps a few english


Pommy
The term pommy, often shortened to pom, is commonly used by speakers as a person of British (English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish)origin, in Australia and possibly New Zealand. Although it was originally a derogatory term, it was ruled no longer offensive in 2006 by the Australian Advertising Standards Board and in 2010 by the New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority. [1] Despite these changing views, some Britons consider the expression offensive or racist: for example, the community group British People Against Racial Discrimination was among those who complained to the Advertising Standards Board about five advertisements poking fun at "Poms," prompting the 2006 decision. [2]


The origin of this term is not confirmed and there are several persistent false etymologies. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) strongly supports the theory that pommy originated as a contraction of "pomegranate".[3] The OED also suggests that the reason for this is that pomegranate is extinct Australian rhyming slang for immigrant; it cites an article from 14 November 1912, in a once-prominent Australian weekly magazine The Bulletin: "The other day a Pummy Grant (assisted immigrant) was handed a bridle and told to catch a horse." A popular alternative explanation for the theory that pommy is a contraction of "pomegranate", relates to the purported frequency of sunburn among British people in Australia, turning their fair skin the colour of pomegranates.[4] However, there is no hard evidence for the theory regarding sunburn. Another unofficial explanation is that P.O.M. stands for 'Prisoner of the Mother Country' (referring to Great Britain)but the origins of this are unclear and the explanation a little contradictory.

Here in New York we already have the "Empire State Games" ...they are held in exisiting infrastructure.

Not disengenuos at all. I sent letters and emails to everyone involved opposing the NY City bid for the Olympics . No one was happier than me when Brazil was "awarded " .
The Chinese spent a fortune on the infrastructure for their Olympics . Where is the return ? What are they doing with it now ?

Don't know about China, but places used in the Sydney Olympics are still being used today and attracting tourists still.
The Aquatic Center in Sydney was actually in existence before the 2000 Olympics, in fact it was built in 1994, only needed some work done to prepare for the games.
Then there is the money made from tourism when the games were actually on... local businesses would have been loving it and it really encouraged people to visit our country from not only the current activities, but the stories people took back with them.

Not to pick on the USA, but Australia is very much a sporting nation, and when you compare population vs medal tally, we whoop your butts... sour grapes maybe :D

The US Olympic Village at Lake Placid is about an 8 hr drive from my home. I have been there and see American skiers and skaters still used the facilities . Perhaps the Chinese are doing the same. I suspect their Potamkin facilities will crumble soon.

I wasn't aware that the US sent a team to the Commonwealth Games... oh yeah ;we don't . There aren't too many Americans into Cricket ,Rugby and lawn bowling .

So what metals are you referring to ;the Olympics ?

Cricket, rugby and lawn bowls... yuck, give me gymnastics and swimming!

Beijing Olympics

Population of USA - 307,006,550
Population of AUS - 21,431,800

USA - 36 gold, 38 silver, 36 bronze, Total 110
AUS - 14 gold, 15 silver, 17 bronze, Total 46

USA - 2.7 million people per medal
AUS - 0.46 million people per medal

;)

What can I tell you.. All of our best athletes are getting rich playing in professional sports.

Touché ;)

. There aren't too many Americans into Cricket ,Rugby and lawn bowling .

?

You see that's why you are such an uptight nation, when you take five days to decide a match you have to be a little laid back, but really you should get into a real game of football, not that game of forcings back you play and remember lawn bowls was played by the English before they destroyed the Spanish Armada, now if you had your troops in Afghanistan play lawn bowls who knows what they might achieve, but even cricket would help them get to know the locals

I was watching a cricket match in the Bahamas. Fell asleep and woke up looking like a POM .

I was watching a cricket match in the Bahamas. Fell asleep and woke up looking like a POM .

Well done, a sun tan is a prerequisite for watching cricket:)

Turns out the games went off without a hitch despite the doom and gloom from the nay sayers.

Indeed, some officials who before the games fought over who should be blamed are now fighting over who should get credit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/world/asia/15india.html?_r=1

True Tom and we whupped them pommies again