Indians may have felt let down when their nation was severely criticised for the chaos surrounding the Commonwealth Games, but they can take heart in the fact that a number of countries in the past had also faced similar criticism while hosting such mega sporting events.
The very nations, including Scotland, which criticised Delhi for not being fully geared up to host the Games, have faced the same music over various reasons ranging from poor transport facilities to delay in preparations to financial irregularities and even political boycotts.
Most recently, during the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa, FIFA officials expressed concern over the timely building of the stadiums. There were also apprehensions over security, sales of tickets and transport. But the fears gradually vanished with the progress of the tournament and timely actions by organisers helped make the event a grand success.
In February this year, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, faced criticism regarding preparations -- similar to that of Delhi. There were reports that transport links were not working just two days before the event and there were too much ice in some venues while it was too less in other venues.
Moreover, the death of a Georgian athlete further added to the woes of the host country but Canadian authorities managed to overcome the initial hiccups and the Games ended successfully.
During Beijing Olympics in 2008, poor air quality in the Chinese capital created a buzz in the international media. It forced International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge to even suggest cancellation of some events. But despite the hiccups China came up with an excellent Olympics.
In 2004 Athens Olympics, delay in completion of infrastructure projects, including tram and road links, drew severe flak for the organising committee, which had to be replaced just before the event. The haste, in which the infrastructure was completed, also resulted in the death of several labourers, bringing in more shame for the country.
The 2000 Sydney Olympics was also not free from controversy. The organisers were criticised for developing the Olympic Park, which housed the athletes, without proper planning as reaching it was cumbersome and time-taking.
During Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the city faced worldwide vilification for its poor transport facilities which prompted the international media to say the city was in "complete chaos". With most projects remained uncompleted, the city failed to get a boost in tourism and employment as expected.
When it comes to hosting Commonwealth Games, the Games organised by Edinburg, Scotland, in 1986 are remembered due to political boycott and financial mismanagement.
Britain's attitude towards South Africa during the Games sparked a huge political row and forced most of the African, Asian and Caribbean countries to stay away from the games. It was reduced to an all-white event as 33 out of 59 Commonwealth nations boycotted it. It also suffered a serious financial setback as it opened with a deficit of 3 million pounds, which grew to 4.3 million pounds.
