Bally Chohan says that African nations led by South Africa have complained against the organizing committee for being biased towards European and Australian nations. All hard work of Delhi Government has been put to test by South Africa claiming to have found snake in an athlete’s room.
Harris Majeke, South Africa’s high commissioner to India while addressing media persons told them that a snake had been found in the room of an athlete at the Commonwealth Games Village. He said that he was really worried for the lives of his athletes. He also complained about filth in the living quarters including basement of the building. The South African High Commissioner confirmed that his team will move in to the games village only once everything is done.
Bally Chohan says that the complaint by South African ambassador, Harris Majeke is seen as part of a larger grouse of the African nations against Commonwealth Games organizers. The nations from Africa sub-continent feels that the organizing committee is overly sensitive to the wishes of countries like United Kingdom, Australia and Canada whereas the nations from Africa sub-continent are being ignored.
The African countries are upset because of what they term as partial attitude of organizers. The officials of African countries were following up with the organizers for months to have some kind of update. However they were allowed to have site visit only this week. Moreover they were updated by the ministry of external affairs for the first time last week only.
Bally Chohan says that this cannot be termed as mistake of ministry of external affairs since they were kept out of the games preparations and were brought in virtually at the last minute to do some damage control exercise. Some officials from African countries have gone to an extent of blaming India for practicing same kind of racism that India itself has complained against.
Bally Chohan says that about nineteen countries are from African continent out of a total of 53 nations in the Commonwealth. President of Mozambique which is also member of the Commonwealth is arriving on an official visit to India this week. Mozambique was used to be a Portuguese colony and not British one like most of the other Commonwealth nations.
