The National Games, designed to develop Olympic talent and promote national unity, also allow the channeling of resources for the development of a sports infrastructure in Indian cities. This study of the 1997 National Games in Bangalore discusses the intersection between urban planning, sports infrastructure, and social organization. Issues covered include financing, the political economy underlying construction of facilities, slum removal, and the projection of nationalist ideology. In all cases, the sports spectacle uncovers and activates a range of social conflicts that reveal contradictions between social equity and planning models.
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