All this hoo-haa about the Commonwealth Games being held in India turning into a potential disaster reminds me of the naysayers and prophets of doom who reared their ugly heads and voiced their even uglier opinions before South Africa hosted the Fifa World Cup.
We had news reports from Australia (no surprises there), New Zealand and the UK predicting a failure of gigantic proportions. What really pissed me off most was that the commentary on these reports were all supportive of the reporters views, and very few were supportive of the countries efforts to make the Soccer World Cup a success. More shocking though, were the number of ex-South Africans and a handful of locals who held the same negative views.
I can't help but grin when I see the same negative propaganda surrounding India's hosting of the Commonwealth Games. The same band of detractors plying their pitiful trade, in an attempt to make the sub-continent look like a sub-species.
We had news reports from Australia (no surprises there), New Zealand and the UK predicting a failure of gigantic proportions. What really pissed me off most was that the commentary on these reports were all supportive of the reporters views, and very few were supportive of the countries efforts to make the Soccer World Cup a success. More shocking though, were the number of ex-South Africans and a handful of locals who held the same negative views.
I can't help but grin when I see the same negative propaganda surrounding India's hosting of the Commonwealth Games. The same band of detractors plying their pitiful trade, in an attempt to make the sub-continent look like a sub-species.
Sure they have their problems. Most countries hosting an event of this magnitude would. The big players have had years of experience in hosting these kind of events, which reduces their chances for failure. That doesn't mean they should forever and always be the only countries awarded this honour.
If South Africa proved anything, it proved that a nation united can achieve the impossible against all odds.
We could easily have allowed the naysayers to achieve their objective and allow us to become negative.
But we didn't.
And we're all the better for it.
(And I just committed 2 huge grammatical No-No's!...
Starting a sentence with "but" and following it up with "and" )
As the BBC reporter so aptly put it, "The Commonwealth Games in India has everybody worried, except the Indians. They seem to be approaching it like a big Indian wedding.... Lots of chaos before the event, then suddenly everybody gets together and gets involved, and it turns out to be one massive party."
Here Here!!
Go on India.
Do yourself proud.
Besides, your neighbours Pakistan have already picked the winners in each category :)
If South Africa proved anything, it proved that a nation united can achieve the impossible against all odds.
We could easily have allowed the naysayers to achieve their objective and allow us to become negative.
But we didn't.
And we're all the better for it.
(And I just committed 2 huge grammatical No-No's!...
Starting a sentence with "but" and following it up with "and" )
As the BBC reporter so aptly put it, "The Commonwealth Games in India has everybody worried, except the Indians. They seem to be approaching it like a big Indian wedding.... Lots of chaos before the event, then suddenly everybody gets together and gets involved, and it turns out to be one massive party."
Here Here!!
Go on India.
Do yourself proud.
Besides, your neighbours Pakistan have already picked the winners in each category :)
I can imagine that the media said alot of the same things about SA before the World Cup... I think it's a First World thing where they look down upon us because we cannot *possibly* measure up to them :P
ReplyDeleteWhatever happens, hope it all goes off well.