Dark clouds are looming over the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as the Australian state of Victoria has pulled out from hosting the competition. State Premier Daniel Andrews stated budgetary constraints as the reason for the decision, terming the threefold increase of the estimated cost “well and truly too much”.
A common criticism of multi-discipline sports events is that they need a lot of infrastructure, which lies idle or under-used once the event is over. A lot of money and space are thus wasted. Here are events where venues suffered such a fate, or else became white elephants in already congested cities.
2010 Commonwealth Games
Despite India finishing a historic second in the medal tally, the 2010 Commonwealth Games are mostly remembered for the wrong reasons. The organization was marked by controversies and scams, tarnishing India's image on the global stage. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was renovated at a cost of Rs 961 crore, and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, among other events. But now it lies empty and in a state of disrepair.
2016 Rio Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics were held in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro amidst much fanfare and expectations. The historic Maracana stadium played host to the opening and closing ceremonies and some other events. However, once the Games ended, the stadium was deserted and many parts of it resembled a garbage dump. Even electricity was shut off for non-payment of dues over $1 million. But at least the Maracana, with its high place in Brazilian football, has repeat events and visitors. That is not the case with many of the other venues, such as the $20 million
golf course or the swimming venue. Within months of the Games, the golf course was barren and the swimming venue had bug-infested stagnant water.
1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics
What was supposed to be a moment of pride for a nation has become a grim reminder of how infrastructure can go waste or be misused. The 1984 Sarajevo Games were the first time that the Winter Olympics were hosted by a communist state. However, eight years down the line, the Bosnian civil war left the country in tatters with many buildings in Sarajevo abandoned. The Olympic venues were not spared either and today look like a ghost town.
2004 Athens Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics was the first time Athens hosted the Games since the historic first edition in 1896. The Greek government reportedly spent 9 billion euros to stage the event. However, their dreams turned into a nightmare as the country faced an economic depression in 2008. As it often happens, the Olympic Park and most other venues turned into grey, desolate stretches with no purpose once the Games were over.
