It's Back!!!
Fresh from conquering South African football stadiums, the Vuvuzela (pitched in almost Bb) has been unleashed on New Delhi. Loved by some and despised by others, the vuvuzela was a constant topic of conversation in South Africa. While the local football fans embraced the atmosphere it helped create at games across the country, many overseas broadcasters and viewers complained that the drone disrupted the enjoyment of watching games on television. Because of the sounds that emanated from the World Cup, several Premier League clubs and even the All England Club at Wimbledon banned vuvuzelas from their venues. UEFA has also banned them from European football competition and the Rugby World Union has banned them from their event in New Zealand 2011. The debate however has not deterred Commonwealth Games organisers in the Indian capital, where 50,000 vuvuzelas were imported from China for the event. The sound of the Vuvuzela though may not be the biggest problem, especially if the games continue to under-achieve.
Crumbling infrastructure, blown construction deadlines and the increasingly delusional and desperate rants of the Delhi organising committee have dominated headlines and spared Commonwealth Games Officials from confronting questions regarding their competition's future beyond Glasgow in 2014. The unfolding drama of Delhi's chaotic preparation for the Commonwealth Games has served to distract from a broader sporting issue: the relevance of the Games themselves. The failure of leading athletes to attend, poor ticket sales and tepid interest from global television subscribers have called into question whether the Commonwealth Games have become an antiquated, outdated notion. The competition formerly known as the British Empire Games has pr
oved capable of moving with the times in the past, but never before in such a competitive sporting environment. The rise of sports-dedicated pay and digital networks has provided the likes of athletics and cycling exposure they have never previously enjoyed and, in the process, robbed the Commonwealth Games of its former exclusivity. Delhi's organisational woes and structural collapses might draw a morbidly curious viewership in lieu of the sporting audience lost with the withdrawals of Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell but it does give the opportunity for other sports and leisure activities to take front stage. After all, when was the last time Lawn Bowling took prime television time?
Fresh from conquering South African football stadiums, the Vuvuzela (pitched in almost Bb) has been unleashed on New Delhi. Loved by some and despised by others, the vuvuzela was a constant topic of conversation in South Africa. While the local football fans embraced the atmosphere it helped create at games across the country, many overseas broadcasters and viewers complained that the drone disrupted the enjoyment of watching games on television. Because of the sounds that emanated from the World Cup, several Premier League clubs and even the All England Club at Wimbledon banned vuvuzelas from their venues. UEFA has also banned them from European football competition and the Rugby World Union has banned them from their event in New Zealand 2011. The debate however has not deterred Commonwealth Games organisers in the Indian capital, where 50,000 vuvuzelas were imported from China for the event. The sound of the Vuvuzela though may not be the biggest problem, especially if the games continue to under-achieve.
Crumbling infrastructure, blown construction deadlines and the increasingly delusional and desperate rants of the Delhi organising committee have dominated headlines and spared Commonwealth Games Officials from confronting questions regarding their competition's future beyond Glasgow in 2014. The unfolding drama of Delhi's chaotic preparation for the Commonwealth Games has served to distract from a broader sporting issue: the relevance of the Games themselves. The failure of leading athletes to attend, poor ticket sales and tepid interest from global television subscribers have called into question whether the Commonwealth Games have become an antiquated, outdated notion. The competition formerly known as the British Empire Games has pr
oved capable of moving with the times in the past, but never before in such a competitive sporting environment. The rise of sports-dedicated pay and digital networks has provided the likes of athletics and cycling exposure they have never previously enjoyed and, in the process, robbed the Commonwealth Games of its former exclusivity. Delhi's organisational woes and structural collapses might draw a morbidly curious viewership in lieu of the sporting audience lost with the withdrawals of Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell but it does give the opportunity for other sports and leisure activities to take front stage. After all, when was the last time Lawn Bowling took prime television time?With what is fast becomeing a ‘B’ list line-up of athletes it might well be that the most entertaining thing about the 2010 Commonwealth Games is in fact that monotone note produced from the Lepatata (that’s the Tswana name). Or perhaps India had foresight, and brought in those 50,000 Vuvuzelas from China to use them as they were traditionally used. To summon distant villagers to attend community gatherings – in this case – the 2010 Commonwealth Games!
And that's - "As I See It!"
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