CWG 2010: THE HISTORICAL SUCCESS

It is the seasons of festivals embracing all over the country & India adds one more festivals to the season to celebrate by successfully holding the Commonwealth Games 2010 at Delhi & by showing a wonderful performance by the nation in the games. Now, the people have one more Diwali to celebrate before Diwali. The time has come to exchange scrumptious sweets by celebrating Diwali with the new festival “Delhi Commonwealth Games Festival.”

            “All is well that ends well”. To start with, everyone knows that it was not only the ending of the games that was well & ended on a high note but also the games began with a fabulous opening ceremony on a very good note. The most controversial Commonwealth Games ever held, ended with an extravagant cultural closing ceremony at the Nehru Stadium in Delhi with the delight presence of guests including Mike Fennell, the President of Commonwealth Games Federation. The dignitaries who attended the opening ceremony of the games include President Pratibha Patil who was the Chief Gust at the CWG Opening Ceremony, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Prince Charles, as representative of Commonwealth head-Queen Elizabeth II, Mike Fennell- The Commonwealth Games Federation President and the Organizing Committee Chairman- Suresh Kalmadi.  The inauguration of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi was performed by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil & Prince Charles jointly at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The mega event spanned for a period of 12 days of remarkable journey.

Now, the Delhi Government must be relaxed after a fantabulous performance by Indian Players without any uncertain incident during the games. The Government is relieved now when there was a lot of hue & cry all over about the certainty of the Games to be held or not? The Government at the same time, must have been satisfied that the Games ended off on a good note as they started off since the past two months on a rather cynical note.

The credit for the success of the games must go to the authorities including the staff & security forces, the people including spectators for making silent & delightful presence without creating chaos and confusion and finally to the athletes for making their benign presence in the games by showing the their sporty spirit & passion towards the games.

Mike Fennell, the President of Commonwealth Games Federation has said in his concluding press meet at the closing ceremony: “When I was going to India on September 23, I was even asked when I would announce the cancellation of the Games”.

            The spectators also warmly welcomed the Games & even the Athletes with a sporty spirit by attending the Inaugural ceremony of the Games. The crowd of the people seemed like “a bunch of people covered in a packet” with great enthusiasm to start the games as soon as possible. This contribution distinctly makes the strength & unity of the spectators of different countries who joined the bunch in a record number with excitement even when the hue & cry for the games had not ended.

            India’s performance in the games was fantabulous and has become remarkable in the history of Indian Games. It is the first time for India in Commonwealth Games that our Athletes brought highest number of Gold medals ever in any Commonwealth Games. Some 5000 Athletes from 71 countries had sportingly competed for 826 medals of which Indian won 101, including 38 Gold, its highest ever, to be the second in tally behind Australia with a total of 177. We also brought home 27 siilver & 36 Bronze medals. Overall previous records of Commonwealth Games been broken by our players themselves by bringing home such a record number of medals.

            To start with the journey of the Stars of the Indian Games, Krishna Poonia was undoubtedly the start of India’s best-ever performance at the Commonwealth Games by getting One Gold leading a clean sweep of Women’s Discus Throw. Such was beyond expectations for everyone but she did. A pleasant surprise came suddenly for India by winning second Gold in Women’s 4x400m relay. Three new national records were also seen at the games – By Prajusha in Women’s tripla jump, Maheshwary in Men’s triple jump & by Men’s 4x400m relay team. They performed tremendously well. Another fantastic performance was seen in Table Tennis which took tally to five medals (Gold in Men’s Doubles, Women’s team Silver, three Bronze Medals in Men’s Singles, Women’s Doubles & Men’s team events). Another athlete who should be applauded is Ashish Kumar, who didn’t win final but made history by winning India’s first ever Commonwealth Games medals in Gymnastics – a Silver & Bronze.

            Going by the series of events, the disappointment was seen in the National Game of India, Hockey, when Australia thumped India 8-0 in the final & the nation had to satisfy itself with Silver medal. But, the performance by our players during the match was wonderful. Australia is a Number one team in Hockey & is the 4^th time continuous winner in the Commonwealth Games. The match is not won by luck, it is the efforts that work. Considering the efforts of the team, India & the tremendous performance by the team at the final, they received hearty applause from the public even after losing the final.

            One important sport which no one can forget is Wrestling. Anita in Women’s 67 Kg free style got the medals. The 21 years old Wrestler Geeta, pinned down her Australian opponent & cornered one more Gold for India & Renu Bala Chanu also won the event in Weighlifting, 58 Kg and another Gold by Alka for Wrestling, 59 Kg.

Deepika Kumari also came up with a Golden Double in Women’s Recurve Archery Event. In Archery Recurve Team, Dala Banerjee, Deepika Kumari & L Bombayala Devi conjured up magical moment by winning India’s first ever Commonwealth Gold in Archery. Since, 1958, India was waiting for such a Gold in either track on field.           

The record haul in Shooting was setup by the shooters, with Gagan Narang, bagging four Gold medals. Anisa Sayyed in 25m Pistol Shooting brought medals, Heena Sidhu & Annu Raj Singh also bagged Gold in 10m Air Pistol (Pairs) Shooting. Finally, in Women’s 25m Pistol (Pairs) Shooting, also bagged medals.

            An unforgettable winning by India was finally lead by Badminton Player Saina Nehwal in Women’s Singles final when she had an unbeaten 4-0 record against her opponent, Malaysia’s Wong Mew Choo. She brought home one Gold by winning the final. This was the time when England & India were tied at 37 Gold each, but England had many more medals, so it was a must win match for the nation to secure second position at Commonwealth Games. During the whole 74-minute thrilling match, never before had the entire country watched a badminton match so passionately on television. Saina’s triumph ensured the Games would end on a high note for India & she made the India victorious for made us to stand on No-2.

            All the Athletes from the nation have, today, made everyone in the country feel proud by achieving such prestigious & remarkable number of awards ever. Such adds one more feather in our cap & shows the potential & capability of the country to participate further in any games of the world. Such a successfully organization of the games proves that we have capability to hold such games in future. After all such incidents, everyone in the world wonders that the Delhi did the unthinkable by hosting the 2010 edition of the Games successfully. The period of 12 days of such a mega event has left everyone impressed that India was not bad and has potential lead anyways.

            It is the duty cast upon the authorities, to look towards any chaos & confusion created two months prior to the games when it was not even certain that the games are going to be held, finally, in India or not? The authorities should take notice of such problems and mistakes that, if any such obstacles are created by their own mal-administration, they are going to curb them at any cost. But, all obstacles were removed, people of the country are very much happy with the performance of India in the games & even the players who came from various countries are satisfied with the facilities provided to them in India. The President of the Commonwealth Games Federation has also praised the administration of the Organising Committee for holding the games in India & organizing the Games ceremonies would be a cherishing experience ever. As we similarly bid the Commonwealth sportspersons and their inimitable energy adieu, we look forward to seeing them set the playing field ablaze again once again during CWG 2014 in Glasgow & an emotional goodbye from Commonwealth Games 2010 mascot, Shera.

Deepeth Mittal

Final Year, B.A. LL.B.

New Law College,

Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune

921 441 2554