NEW DELHI, India — Thursday’s results at the Commonwealth Games had the usual haul of gold medals by some of the world’s top athletes — but the glory was accompanied by glitches: A large scoreboard crashed to the ground at the vacant rugby stadium and more than a dozen swimmers fell ill with a stomach virus.
New problems overshadowed athletic achievements at the largest international sporting event in India’s history, drawing more than 6,000 athletes and officials from 71 countries and territories.
Though none of the worst fears of terrorism or mass outbreak of illness has materialized, smaller problems have marred an event intended to burnish India’s image as an emerging economic power.
Damage to the track and the infield at the main stadium from the opening ceremony forced organizers to rush in more than 1,000 workers, who made repairs just in time for competition to start as scheduled Wednesday. But Thursday night, a large scoreboard crashed to the ground at the rugby venue when a supporting chain snapped.
Competition manager Kevin Culliver told the Games news service that the board was lifted into place two days ago and it was lucky that rugby does not begin until next week so no spectators were present.
Earlier in the day, more than a dozen swimmers from Australia and England fell ill and one had to withdraw from the 50-meter butterfly.
Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell said officials would conduct tests to make sure the pools were not the source of the illness.
“If there is something unsafe, you cannot swim in that water. It is a matter we have to deal with, with a great deal of urgency,” he said.
The aquatic events went on as scheduled.
“Let us assure you, there is nothing wrong with the water here,” pool announcer Kurt Hanson told spectators. “The way these athletes train, their immune system is so low that they tend to pick up any bug that is going around.”
