New Delhi’s weightlifting stadium, which was frenziedly built for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, resembles a bloated, mushroom-shaped storage shed with a cream-coloured corrugated tin roof.
On a rainy morning, workers clambered across the roof to plug leaks, while an engineer waited for permission to enter the stadium to test electrical equipment. Even with things way behind schedule, security guards spent ages debating whether to allow him in because his pass had expired.
The farcical scene was a symptom of the malaise afflicting India’s preparations to host the games, which have been dogged by allegations of corruption, mismanagement, and inadequate facilities.