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US Track and Field legend Edwin Moses questions India’s intent to bid for 2030 CWG.
IMAGE: Double Olympic badminton medallist PV Sindhu and men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh lead India out at the Commonwealth Games’ Opening Ceremony in Birmingham on July 29, 2022. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images from the Rediff Archives
Perplexed by India’s interest in hosting events like the 2030 Commonwealth Games, American athletics legend Edwin Moses says the country, which is yet to have a consistent supply line of world-class athletes, needs to decide whether such bids are meant to develop sports or simply make a statement.
India has submitted its Expression of Interest (EOI) to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is also in the running to bid for the 2036 Olympics after handing a letter of intent to the International Olympic Committee.
India is also among the seven bidders to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup in men’s football, a sport that is in shambles both in terms of performance and administration in the country.
“It depends on what the vision is for having a Commonwealth Games. Is it just to have an event in India, or is it to really develop sports? That’s going to be the big question,” Moses, a Laureus World Sports Academy member, told PTI when asked if hosting mega events like the Commonwealth Games could help find better athletes.
“You can put on the Commonwealth Games or any other event and have all the fanfare and the government involved, and people who have nothing to do with sports-but sit on the front row.
“That’s what you want to avoid. That’s generally what happens,” the 69-year-old former hurdler added in a blunt assessment of how he perceives India’s interest in these events.
Moses was at his wit’s end to understand why a country of over billion people can’t consistently produce world-class athletes.
“…it’s going to depend on the people who have been athletes, who are able to make things happen. That’s for the people in India to determine.
“I don’t keep up with the politics of sports over there or what’s gone wrong and why isn’t a country with a billion people better than others in sports, which doesn’t even make sense,” he added.
Moses, who won 107 consecutive finals and set the world record in the 400m hurdles four times between 1977 and 1987, said India needs to spend on coaches and infrastructure.
“There’s a lot of other countries in the world, much smaller, with much less financial capabilities than India, that produce good athletes,” he said.
“So, the infrastructure is just not there to support athletes and take Olympic sports seriously. They have certain areas in which they’re really good, but in general, it’s probably just the infrastructure, coaches, stadiums, and dedication to help athletes become better athletes.
“The question is, is it valuable to the country, other than cricket, which is the big sport there, right? How much do they value other sports that people may not be familiar with?” he wondered.
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