WHETHER IT is cricket, football, hockey, tennis or any other genre of sports, Indians are considered as one of the most avid sports enthusiasts throughout the world. Though cricket is the most popular sport in India, there are other events also where Indians have shown their skill and interest.
After having a considerable success in the Beijing Olympics 2008, India is rapidly preparing for the coming 2010 Commonwealth Games. This time, India is the host country of the Commonwealth Games. The same would take place in New Delhi and its surrounding areas from October 3 to October 14, 2010.
Delhi, one of the largest and modern metropolitan cities of the world, has a population of more than 15 million. Delhi would host one of the largest multi-sport events in the world, thereby bringing the attention of the entire world towards the world’s largest democracy. Commonwealth Games are going to be held for the first time in India. Prior to this, Delhi, the capital city of India, hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.
India is the third developing country to host this grand sporting event after Jamaica and Malaysia, in 1966 and in 1998, respectively. As an Asian nation, India is the second country to host this event. In January 2005, Randhir Singh, the vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation expressed concern that Delhi was behind schedule in setting up an organising committee. On January 18, 2008, the Commonwealth Games Federation finally expressed satisfaction over the progress in preparation for the games.
The road to win the bid for the Commonwealth Games was not full of roses. On November 13, 2003, the Commonwealth Games Federation assembled in Montego Bay, Jamaica to cast their vote for the location of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Delhi won the opportunity to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, defeating Hamilton, the Canadian city, by 46 votes to 22. The sports minister of India will head the apex committee for conducting the games. Suresh Kalmadi, the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will lead the organising committee.
On January 6, 2008, the logo of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was accepted. Inspired by Ashoka Chakra, its spiraling upwards symbolises India’s rise as a global power and its transition from tradition to modernity. The different colours in the logo symbolise the very rhythm of unity in diversity that has been integral to India since time immemorial.
Eighty five nations are participating in 17 different events of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The events are - Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling. The concerned authority has excluded triathlon from the Commonwealth Games this time as there is no suitable venue to organise the swimming stage. There were also proposals for removing basketball and several requests arrived for the inclusion of archery, tennis, billiard and snooker as four events for the men category. Though there were relentless efforts to include Cricket, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was not interested to conduct a Twenty 20 tournament. The BCCI once told that it would support one day matches, but the concerned authority of the Commonwealth Games was not interested in having a day-long match.
To organise each event impeccably, all the existing and new stadia are under modernisation. Both the opening and the closing ceremonies would be held in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Apart from that, the Dhyan Chand National Stadium and Indira Gandhi Arena would also organise some major events. The Delhi University Sports Complex, Tyagaraj Sports Complex, Siri Fort Sports Complex, Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range, Talkatora Stadium, SPM Swimming Pool Complex, RK Khanna Tennis Complex and Yamuna Sports Complex are the other stadiums, which would host some major events.
Delhi is in a hurry to prepare itself for the coming grand sporting event. All the departments are trying their best to bedeck Delhi so that India’s name is enshrined in golden letters in the history of Commonwealth Games.
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