What lies in store for the Commonwealth Games?

The organisers of the Commonwealth games in Delhi delcared it a success as the curtain came down on the competition on Thursday. But observers fear that the legacy of these games could be a damaging one and even the organiser, Mike Fennell, admitted that after so many top athletes, from Usain Bolt to Chris Hoy, elected not to come it will be hard to maintain the Games' reputation as a top tier event.

The build up to the Delhi 2010 Games was dogged by concerns over security and infrastructure, and although the events went off relatively smoothly the crowds were disappointing.
    
"We have to make sure we present the Games in a more positive way and rebuild that demand in the lead-up to Glasgow 2014," said Fennell after the closing ceremony at the Nehru Stadium.

In the British media there was a mixed reaction to the Games, and much of the criticism has been aimed at the critics themselves. Guardian writer Andy Bull berated the attitude of the athletes who elected not to come and the doom-mongers from the West.

"What has really marred these Games has been the attitude of the other major Commonwealth countries," he wrote. But added that the Games were "starting to seem archaic and redundant, a relic of political and cultural time that has no relevance to the modern world".

Jacquelin Magnay in the Telgraph said that the hosts could take pride in their efforts. "The Indians have a right to feel warm about their justified claims that the Games were happy and reasonably well run, amid the country's bigger social and economic struggles," she stated. "This was New Delhi with its best, chaotic, colourful face put forward to the world – complete with monkeys, snakes, cicadas and moth invasions."

Delhi hopes that hosting the Commonwealth Games will be a springboard for a successful bid for the 2020 Olympic Games, while Glasgow has the more immediate task of inheriting what could be a poisoned chalice and preparing for the 2014 event. ·