The sun sets at 2010 Commonweath Games lawn bowls venue

Yanup is now a fan. He plans to buy himself a set of bowls and spread the gospel to his friends. He was a delight to talk to: an eloquent boy who's making the most of a break from school to see as much of the Commonwealth Games as possible. He hopes to take in the athletics and the gymnastics and had just bought a ticket to see his hero - India's world number three badminton player Saina Nehwal - on October 13th.

The bowling rinks were packed with players. As I arrived, South Africa were taking on Swaziland, Northern Ireland were up against the Cook Islands, and Botswana were taking on Australia. Controversially, they are not playing on grass, but on carpet, which is slower and expected to favour the British and Asian bowlers at the expense of those from Australasia.

I sidled up to Samantha - she was sitting next to me, but it seemed rude to shout from 10 metres away - and discovered that she was Australia's official reserve. This means she has to sit and watch bowls for 13 hours just in case one of her team mates succumbs to Delhi Belly. She was watching her country record an easy victory over Botswana while holding a green and gold pom-pom between green and gold painted fingernails.

As we finished our conversation, the peace was shattered by shouts of "Hurry, Gary, hurry," as a bowler from Northern Ireland urged Gary's bowl, rather than Gary himself, nearer the jack. I then saw members of the Australia squad donning ice jackets to prepare themselves for their next match with Scotland, and one of the officials told me that some players had been dunking their bowls in ice to keep them at the perfect playing temperature.

And all this for just 50 rupees - about one US dollar - in a forgotten corner of Delhi in the shadow of the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium.

Last minute building work at the athletics stadium

"You have to be honest and candid about who you are," she told me, with a group of small children reciting the Hindi alphabet in the background. "Then people will accept you with a better heart."

"We had a gypsy colony, which had lived on the streets of Delhi since independence. Every six months, the authorities would come and threaten to raze their camp, but blood money was paid and the camps were not razed. In the meantime, politicians who saw a good vote bank gave them voting cards and a postal address. But then the Commonwealth Games came along, and they were bulldozed. What makes me very sad is that the shooters would have used the road to zip past the camp, so I don't see how thirty odd families beating the iron, children playing or women cooking would disturb the sensitivity of anybody."

It leads to the debate which is staged every time a developing nation holds a major sporting event. Should this money be spent elsewhere or does an event like the Commonwealth Games provide opportunities for this and future generations? Mike Fennell - the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation - is adamant that these Games will benefit India enormously.

"The whole face of the city has changed dramatically. The roads are better, the water supply is better, the electricity is better - and all because they were forced to do those improvements earlier. Who is really going to benefit from that? The citizens of Delhi will benefit from those improvements forever. And look at the metro, look at the new airport. Fantastic. All of that work provided employment for people so there are untold benefits which will filter down."

As the debate continues, it's over to the athletes. Even without the track and field stars who have stayed away in their droves, the competitors now have the chance to help people remember the Delhi Games for all the right reasons.

Sportsworld comes live from Delhi on the BBC World Service from 1400 GMT

Whose foot fits the Golden Boot?

A small part of me thinks they have a chance if they can prevent Chelsea from scoring early on, but it's also distinctly possible that the real drama of Sunday afternoon will be whether Didier Drogba or Wayne Rooney ends up with the Golden Boot for finishing as the Premier League's top scorer.

One debate we might have over the weekend is whether Chelsea deserve to be champions? Choosing a winner in the Premier League is much more straightforward than in the UK's General Election: the team with the most points will definitely win. This year's winning points tally will be the lowest for seven years, and while some believe we should give credit to the rest of the league for raising their game, it's clear that neither Chelsea nor Manchester United can claim to be as consistently intimidating as they have been in recent years.

Chelsea, though, have the strongest mandate to claim the title, as they have scored 95 goals, and hit seven in one match against Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke. And more importantly, they have also beaten all the other members of last year's top four both home and away, with a 12-1 aggregate score. So do you agree they would be worthy champions come Sunday night?

Sportsworld at the weekend

Lee James will be looking ahead to the final day of the Premier League season on Sportsworld this Saturday from 14 hours GMT, and you can call him to say how you see it on Sportsworld Have Your Say from 1730 GMT. And I'll be with you from 15 hours GMT on Sunday with commentary on the final day, and a special edition of Sportsworld Have Your Say - again from 1730 GMT.

One of the reasons he signed a further three year contract with Chelsea last August is the memory of having to leave the Ivory Coast's capital Abidjan, and his parents, at the age of just 5 to start a new life with his uncle in France. He's thrived in Carlo Ancelotti's first season at Stamford Bridge - scoring 32 goals in a Chelsea side which has rattled in 93 in the Premier League alone.

"When (Ancelotti) was in Milan, they were playing attacking football and always playing with 2 or 4 attacking players. They used to play well. I think he's one of the guys who changed the mentality in Italy: to play forward and score more goals."

There will be no surgery on Drogba's troublesome hernia this side of the World Cup Finals. He's not playing pain free, but assures fans in the Ivory Coast that he will not be held back by injury when the team come up against Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in Group G.

"I will be able to play at my best. It's sometimes painful, but I don't see any player at this stage of the season who's playing pain free, who's not tired or something like that. This is not a big big big deal. It's sometimes painful, but it's not a big big big problem which is why I will wait until the end of the World Cup to do the surgery. I'm not even worried about it."

He is, though, worried about the "scandalous" statistic that an African child dies of malaria every thirty seconds. Drogba, Chelsea, and their official international charity partner Right To Play are supporting the United Against Malaria campaign, which aims to encourage families to sleep under nets to beat the disease by the time of the next World Cup in Brazil. Drogba, Michael Essien and Haile Gebrselassie are some of the stars who will be featured on information cards that will be given out alongside the nets.

"It is scandalous" Drogba told me, "and something that has been there for years and years, so the fact that the World Cup is in Africa this year is a big opportunity to call people and say look this is what is happening in Africa, this is what is killing kids. This is a really easy problem to solve. When you speak about malaria, people think it's like HIV, but it's very easy to fight: you need a net, just a net, and then you are OK."

You can hear the whole interview with Didier Drogba on Sportsworld this Saturday from 14 hours GMT, and then you can give me your reaction on Sportsworld Have Your Say from 1730. Will Chelsea's inconsistent away form cost them the title at Anfield on Sunday? And if you are in the Ivory Coast, are you confident that Drogba will be at his best come the World Cup Finals?

Tiger is golf's reference point. Although I wouldn't wish for a moment to denigrate the achievements of those who have won majors when Tiger was absent, the efforts of other professionals are judged relative to where Tiger was in the field. If a player wins a major having played alongside, or withstood a charge through the field from the world number one, then the achievement is all the greater. Bob May is still feted for finishing second to Woods at the PGA Championship in Valhalla in 2000 - because he threw everything he could at the great man in a final round, which eventually extended to 21 holes.

Can Tiger reach his 15th Major?

Tiger's pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' record of eighteen major victories also draws people to the sport. He's been stuck on 14 since his extraordinary US Open win of nearly two years ago. Can he return as the relentless champion he was, with his aura of invincibility burst? It's a question which will drive people to their TV screens over the years ahead.

Will he really be a changed man on the course? Will he stop throwing clubs and engage more with the galleries? Can he do that - and still remain the supreme golfer of this, and probably any, generation? It will make for riveting viewing.

The bookmakers' are delighted to see him back, but they have long memories, and so make him a ludicrously short priced favourite to win the Masters in his first appearance for five months. He can't, can he??

Contact Sportsworld to 'Have Your Say'.

Are you pleased to see Tiger back? And can you come up with some words to describe the majesty of Lionel Messi' performance against Arsenal on Tuesday? Sportsworld Have Your Say begins at 1730 GMT.

United with out Rooney

United have proved in recent weeks that it's impertinent to describe them as a one man team, but will they really be able to conquer the best in Europe without Wayne Rooney's presence on the field? Rooney's ankle ligament injury gives Dimitar Berbatov his chance, but will United be able to deal with the returning Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger? Although still too inconsistent for Louis Van Gaal's liking, Bayern have the potential to turn into one of Europe's very best sides once again. I expect them to score in Manchester, and push United very hard for a place in the semi-finals. It's great to see the re-emergence of Inter under Jose Mourinho, and it's wonderful that there will be a French side in the semi-finals.

Truely European semi-finals ?

The rest of Europe has raised its game in response to three consecutive years in which there have been three English teams in the last four. The Premier League clubs do not look as intimidating as they did, and part of this may be down to the tightening of belts in the boardroom. Manchester United have not yet re-invested the money raised by selling Cristiano Ronaldo, and even Roman Abramovich has been more prudent in recent years - so might the Champions League soon resemble the original European Cup? Might there one day be eight quarter-finalists from eight different countries once more?

Let me know what you think this Saturday from 1730 GMT on Sportsworld Have Your Say.

When I made my way into their training camp at Kingston's University of Technology, I was astonished by what I saw. There - in the shadow of the Blue Mountains and at the bottom of a hill which boasts a former residence of Bob Marley - was Asafa Powell sprinting full tilt towards me on a dusty grass track. Shelly-Ann Fraser admitted to me afterwards that injuries are not uncommon as they are put through their paces on a track which most sporting super powers would turn their noses up at.

It makes Jamaica's success all the more remarkable. It was fascinating chatting to coach Francis afterwards about his training philosophy, and hearing Shelly-Ann Fraser admit that her main motivation for running fast as a child was so that she could escape her mother when she thought she was in for a beating.

Clearly bags of national talent, high quality coaching and real desire contribute to making Jamaicans run so fast. But could there also be genetic reasons, and is is true that the yam produced in Usain Bolt's parish of Trelawny is more nutritious than anywhere else?

We'll explore all these subjects in Sportsworld, which comes live from Kingston on the 100th anniversary of Champs - the fiercely competitive High School athletics meet which I was blogging about last time.

And if you have a theory as to why Jamaicans can outsprint the rest of us, then I look forward to speaking to your from 1730 GMT on Sportsworld Have Your Say.

For nearly two and a half hours, some of the competitors sat around the edge of the track watching dancers in red and green cloaks, and ankle length multi-coloured dresses,perform the opening ceremony. Some of us were even dancing in the aisles as the Jamaican military band made way for a South African dance troupe and then local stars like Etana, Ding Dong and DJ Nicholas.

Four days of intense competition is now underway, and come Saturday there will be 30 thousand people cheering the students on. Saturday's one thousand grandstand tickets sold out in half an hour - such is the desire to see the stars of the future and, in many cases, re-live rivalries from school days.

The police have refused permission for any pre- or post-Champs parties this year, in an attempt to avoid the violence and hooliganism that has blighted the event in recent years. And there's been a bit of a spat about the safety of the stadium, as well. The Bob Marley National Stadium was built to host the 1966 Commonwealth Games, and even though it has seen better days, those who run the stadium were less than impressed when the Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie told the Jamaica Observer newspaper that it was a "death trap." He said Champs wouldn't have been allowed to take place there if it hadn't been such an auspicious year, which is hardly reassuring, but may not worry too many when a potential future Olympic champion is powering down the home straight on Saturday.

We will have all the flavour of Champs, as we ask Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser why Jamaica dominates the sprinting world, on Sportsworld, which comes live from the capital Kingston on both Saturday and Sunday.

Madrid remain a work in progress - but will the current constructor be allowed to remain in his post? Immediate indications appear positive for Pellegrini, as Real's director general Jorge Valdano has stated publicly that the club believe in his work and plan to continue with his services next season. Plans can change, though, especially when Florentino Perez is club president.

All change at the Bernabeu

Perez was the man who sacked Vicente del Bosque, who had won two Champions League and two La Liga titles in a four year spell at the Bernabeu. Five coaches took the reins in the final three years of Perez's first term as president, and Pellegrini is the ninth different coach to have been given control since del Bosque left the club less than seven years ago.

Will Perez see things differently second time around? Madrid have lost in the first knockout round six years in a row, but surely this is now the time to stand by a man who was brave enough to substitute the disappointing Kaka and has taken Madrid past Barcelona to the top of La Liga?

Let me know whether you agree on this Saturday's Sportsworld Have Your Say. We'll be taking your calls from 1730 GMT.

The French do it too

Henry was whistled as he was substituted by Raymond Domenech midway through the second half of France's defeat to Spain. Short of game time for Barcelona, Henry struggled through the match, and was punished by the home crowd who may also have been passing judgement on his dubious handballed goal which sent France to the World Cup Finals.

It's not the first time Henry has experienced the sensation at the Stade de France. He took the same philosophical line as Terry after the match when he said that if "you don't play well, you have to expect being jeered at."

What's better than a boo ?

But do you? Isn't a supporter who goes to a ground to boo his or her team not breaking the Trades Descriptions Act? If you are unhappy with the conduct or form of a member of your side, then how about staying away from the game or tempering the enthusiasm you would normally show for their performance?

But if my washing machine isn't performing as well it should, I hear you cry, I take it back to the shop for a refund, and as that is not an option at a football match, I have a right to register my disapproval! It's a persuasive argument, but I do think the culture of jeering is getting out of hand.

Do all fans really know why they are booing someone, or are they just delivering the lines expected of them like an ensemble in a play? You don't need to put these highly paid stars on a pedestal if you don't want to, but at least show them the respect they deserve for reaching the very top of their profession.

Call me, and let me you know what you think, from 1730 GMT this Saturday on Sportsworld Have Your Say.

I'm sure most of us would encourage them to play - to stand up to the threat - yet recent attacks in India, on Sri Lanka's cricketers in Lahore, and on Togo's footballers in Angola, will be fresh in players' minds.

Re-locating events

It would be a terrible blow to India if events like the IPL, the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup are significantly weakened by player withdrawals, or worse still, have to be moved to other countries. South Africa did a great job hosting last year's IPL at short notice, but the tournament belongs in the country of its birth. How cruel it would be if Sachin Tendulkar were denied a final chance to win the World Cup on home soil, or India deprived of a chance to finally host the Commonwealth Games. The worry is that if many big stars pull out of the IPL - and the player's unions of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and England plan to decide their strategy together - there could be repercussions for the events to follow.

Is anywhere really fully secure ?

The irony is that very few major cities can be considered risk-free - as the organisers of the London Olympics know only too well. And we must keep broadening our horizons. South Africa's World Cup will be a thrill - as will the excursion into Brazil for their World Cup and Olympic double bill. I loved Sydney's Millennium Olympics, but thank goodness the idea that the city act as a permanent host to the Olympic movement remained purely a subject for the radio talk shows.

What would you do if you were a player? Or if you were responsible for running events like the IPL and the Commonwealth Games? We'll discuss this on Saturday's Sportsworld from 14 hours GMT - and play you the Brett Lee interview - before Your Have Your Say from 1730 GMT.

Predictably, those with the most to lose are less than overwhelmed by the suggestion. Arsenal's and Liverpool's Champions League participation would appear to be under threat, if recent seasons are any sort of guide. Arsene Wenger is not a fan, and neither is Rafael Benitez. He says it would be a mess, as the extra fixtures would mean clubs "playing until the end of the century" and cause increasing injury problems.

The Spaniard also thinks it's unfair that the side which finishes fourth after 38 Premier League games could lose out to a side which finishes seventh, possibly twenty points behind. Maybe not, but does the side that can only finish fourth in their national league deserve to play in the CHAMPIONS League anyway? Three years ago, Liverpool and Arsenal finished third and fourth - on the same number of points - but 21 points behind the champions Manchester United.

It would be very exciting, but my main concern is how you fit these matches into the schedule. English clubs, in particular, play too many games, so how would you squeeze two legged play-off semi-finals and a final into the crowded closing weeks of the season? Is that really the best preparation for a World Cup or a European Championship that so many Premier League players will be involved in?

And what impact would this have on the FA Cup? The Football Association is looking into ways of reinvigorating the oldest cup competition in the world, but would be undermined if even more teams field understrength sides because finishing seventh in the League is suddenly much more important.

I'd love to hear what you think on Sportsworld Have Your Say this Saturday from 1730 GMT on the BBC World Service

We'll also be discussing Real Madrid's defeat at Lyon in the Champions League, and Tiger Woods' first public appearance since admitting infidelity, in the main body of the programme from 14 hours GMT, so there should be plenty to talk to you about when we open the phonelines.

He was looking at the report of Chelsea's victory over Arsenal, and was quite excited to learn that despite being soundly beaten, Arsenal had actually enjoyed more of the ball. As I started to explain the curse of statistics, my mind turned again to the frustration of watching Arsene Wenger's team.

The Wenger Way

Yet it seems as if the Frenchman imposes stricter limits on spending than is necessary, in order to satisfy himself that he can win the Premier League and Champions League his way. It would be a magnificent achievement for an Arsenal grown eleven to thrive playing Wenger's alluring brand of football, but barring Champions League victory - or sub-par league performances from both Chelsea and Manchester United over the last dozen games - Arsenal will end the season without a trophy for the fifth year in a row.

The North London club reported record profits earlier this season, and even though they will be repaying the debt on their new stadium for many years, it looks as if Wenger has set himself a personal challenge which has made his side uncompetitive against the very best teams in Europe. I suspect he wouldn't get as much satisfaction by winning with the help of players built elsewhere, and so is determined to compete by his own rules.

He doesn't need to throw money at the team. But when Emmanuel Adebayor was sold to Manchester City shortly before the start of the season, no replacement was sought. And even though Robin van Persie was cruelly injured on international duty in November, no striker was added to the squad in the January transfer window.

I accept it would have been very difficult to find a top class player in Wenger's mould who was prepared to move mid-season, but a striker who could have added ten goals between now and May would have been invaluable. A dose of pragmatism every now and again can make a patient feel a lot better.

Changes ahead ?

A major concern is that eventually the core of the team will dishearten of Wenger's project. Matthieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb have already departed, and even though Cesc Fabregas consistently pledges his allegiance to the cause, won't the time come (later this year according to reports in Spain) when he finally accepts that he must find a team capable of winning the silverware his talent demands? The team could fracture further just as it is reaching maturity, and every time that happens, Wenger's plans are set back a couple of years.

If Arsenal do win the Premier League title next season, it will be vindication of the Arsene Wenger way, and a wonderful riposte to irresponsible spending. But it may not happen unless Wenger relaxes his own self-imposed rules.

The Premier League title race is something you may want to call me about in Sportsworld Have Your Say this Saturday from 1730 GMT on the BBC World Service. Is it now a two horse race between Manchester United and Chelsea? I'd love to hear from you on + 44 207 083 73 33.

Russell