Come Out and Play

“Come Out and Play” is the motto of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in New Delhi between 3rd and 14th October 2010. Though India has hosted Asian Games twice, in 1951 and 1982, it has never hosted the Commonwealth Games. It will be only the third developing country to host this event. Jamaica in 1966 and Malaysia in 1998 have hosted it earlier.
The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event, just like Olympics. It is held every four years. A total of 71 teams participated in the last Games, including 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Tokelau, a dependency, is expected to take part in the 2010 Games in Delhi. The first such event, then known as the British Empire Games, was held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. The name changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and assumed the current name of the Commonwealth Games in 1978. There are a total of 31 sports and further 7 para-sports which are approved by the Commonwealth Games Federation. A number of optional sports may be picked by the host nation. In the last edition, a total of 4500 athletes participated in 16 sports.
Delhi became the host for the 2010 Games by defeating the Canadian city of Hamilton by 46 votes. This voting was done at CGF General Assembly in Montego Bay in November 2003. The preparations for the Games are already well underway at an estimated cost of Rs. 70 billion (US$1.4 billion). Delhi is expecting around 5,200 athletes and 1,800 officials. There are numerous civic and infrastructure projects being carried out to make Delhi a world-class city, ready to host the Commonwealth Games and guests in 2010. Delhi’s airport is being modernized, upgraded and expanded to handle the passenger traffic envisaged during the Games. Twelve new flyovers and several bridges and under-bridges have been planned to improve road connectivity with the Commonwealth Games Villages, the sports venues, and within the city. An additional 25,000 hotel rooms are being built to meet the requirements of the Games. India is also getting ready to cash in on the Commonwealth Games barrage of tourists. It is developing 20 tourist destinations.
Shera, the official mascot of the Games, is a Royal Bengal Tiger wearing a white sporting jersey and blue shorts. The Royal Bengal Tiger is the national animal of India. It is also an endangered species because of its vulnerability to habitat loss, poaching and environmental degradation. The Nineteenth Commonwealth Games promise to be Green Games. The Organizing Committee has made a commitment to ensure that the negative environmental impact of the Games is minimized. The Games will focus on waste management, forestation, anti-litter campaigns, sustainable transport, use of renewable energy sources and efficient water management.
India won a total of 50 medals, including 22 gold, in the last edition of the games in Melbourne. India’s highest medal tally was in 2002 Games when it won a total of 69 medals, including 30 gold. India has never led the medal tally. Hope as a host nation it will achieve this too.
I and many others of my age-group have never seen India hosting such a mega event other than the cricket world cup. It is a kind of first for us. I am very excited and waiting in eager anticipation to watch the Games to be held in India. I hope it becomes super-duper successful. Hope India shows its best both on the field as well as off the field in hosting it. “Atithi Devo Bhava”. India now has a chance to show that it still believes in it. Hosting a sporting event at a scale such as the Commonwealth Games is a matter of international prestige for the country, and is bound to provide a significant boost to India's global visibility, viability and the overall "brand India". India is heralded as the next world economic superpower and the 2010 Commonwealth Games will be another opportunity to project the nation on the world stage. The Games will also leave behind dramatically improved, world-class sports facilities that generations of India's athletes can use in the future. I am very thrilled about this event happening in my country and thus I try to track every development about it. And I expect that many of my fellow Indians too would be following the development.
Bolt!! We are waiting for you.