Empty feeling over sporting spectacles

AT THE pace things are moving here in Delhi, 100m men's sprinting gold medal favourite Oshane Bailey might be the only one operating with any hint of urgency right now.
The storm clouds that passed when Delhi danced to the sound of 1000 drums at Sunday's opening ceremony have only served to mask growing malcontent on a variety of fronts.
From news today that police are scouring the Commonwealth Games village housing nearly 7000 already-edgy athletes after receiving an anonymous telephone call claiming a bomb has been placed there, to the embarrassingly low turnout at many venues, all's not hunky-dory here in the Indian capital (although some of the sport is damn good).
After weeks of reporting on problems and delays in many aspects of the buildup to the games, it was a relief to journalists, athletes and, no doubt, organisers when the sport finally cracked into life yesterday.
But many of us have been left scratching our heads at why games venues, including those housing the purported blue riband events of boxing, wrestling, shooting and weightlifting, are near empty.
I trucked out to the Black Sticks' opening game of the games on Monday. Fairfax reporter Toby Robson and I had our pick of 16,000 seats as a smattering of spectators, no more than 150 dotted the grandstand. It's worth noting that hockey used to be India's second-most popular sport.
Same too at the boxing today, where the Talkatora Dome was hardly heaving, with more than half the 2500 seats empty. Throw swimming on the growing pile too, an event you usually have to cash in your grandmother for to get tickets at Olympic and Commonwealth Games.
For a capital city with serious Olympic aspirations (although how much life is left in that dream remains to be seen), it isn't a great look.
It's stating the blindingly obvious to say Delhi's not London, or Melbourne, or Auckland. It's estimated more than 800 million Indians survive on less than $2 a day, with New Delhi alone home to more than 60,000 beggars, although most of them have been pushed out of town and out of sight during the games.
But tickets are hardly out of reach of many New Delhi-ites either 50 rupee (approx $1.80) for some events. Those who've arrived from overseas can't believe their luck. It's the thousands who haven't bothered to come that are proving conspicuous by their absence.
Add to the issue of stay-aways a results service that is only just starting to chug into life, lack of uniforms for games officials, suffocating security at most stadiums (although there is the odd, pleasant exception), and a distinct lack of anything resembling commonsense when it comes to getting to and from venues and the patience sure is getting a decent working over this week.
On a slightly lighter note, there was some welcome comical relief today at the boxing.
Sitting in front me on the press benches, two Pommy journalists, suddenly burst forth with some biffo of their own, with a string of profanity-laden insults in both directions quickly developing into a bit of push-and-shove until both were told to take it outside.
Add in a pigeon, one of many living in the rafters, that decided mid-bout to dive-bomb the ring, and the young Botswanan who skipped to his corner after round one, tripped on the drip tray and nearly flung himself through the ropes and 2m onto the floor, and it was a fairly amusing way to spend a couple of hours.