2010 Commonwealth Games

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XIX Commonwealth Games

Logo of 2010 Commonwealth Games

Host city New Delhi, India

Motto Come out and play

Nations 71 Commonwealth Teams

participating

Athletes More than 6000 [1]

participating

Events 260 events in 17 disciplines

Opening ceremony 3 October

Closing ceremony 14 October

 Officially opened Prince Charles, Prince of Walesand Pratibha

by Patil, President of India

Main Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Website cwgdelhi2010.org

2010 Commonwealth Games

 Venues (Games
Village)
 Mascot
 Theme song
 Concerns and
controversies
 Queen's Baton Relay
 Opening ceremony
 Medal table
 Event calendar

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will be the nineteenth Commonwealth Games, and the ninth to be held
under that name. The Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India between 3 October and 14 October
2010. The games will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi and India, which has
previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at
the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium, in Delhi. It will also be the first time the Commonwealth
Games is held in India and the second time the event has been held in Asia (after 1998 in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia).

In the days running up to the Games, the event has been hit by a host of issues, including bad weather,
infrastructural compromise,[2]preparation delays — in particular, that of the Games Village,[3][4] and the
withdrawal of prominent athletes.[5]. This has led to criticism of the event and its organisers, which was majorly
reported in the news media.However the game was given a green light by all participating nations and is
planned to begin on schedule.

Contents
 [hide]
 1 Bidding

2 Organisation

o 2.1 Organising

committee

o 2.2 Costs

o 2.3 Transport

o 2.4 Green Games

o 2.5 Other

preparation

3 Symbols

o 3.1 Mascot

o 3.2 Official song

4 Queen's Baton relay

5 Calendar

6 Sports

o 6.1 Medal table

7 Participating nations

8 Venues

o 8.1 Competition

venues

o 8.2 Non-

competition venues

9 Media coverage

10 Concerns and

controversies

11 References

12 External links

[edit]Bidding

The two principal bids for the 2010 Commonwealth Games were from Delhi, India and Hamilton, Ontario,
Canada. A ballot of members was held in November 2003 at the Commonwealth Games Federation General
Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Delhi bid won by a margin of 46 votes to 22, confirming India's first
successful bid for the Games. The bid was Canada's attempt to hold the games for the fifth time. [6][7][8]India's bid
motto was New Frontiers and Friendships.[9]

India shifted the balance in its favour in the second round of voting with a promise that it would provide
US$100,000 to each participating country, along with air tickets, boarding, lodging and transport. The
successful 2003 Afro-Asian Games held in Hyderabad was also seen as having showed India has the
resources, infrastructure and technical know-how to stage a big sporting event. India also thanked Latif Butt,
former vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia, for his support in the winning bid, by saying, "You played
a vital role in the Commonwealth Games 2010 being allotted to India. Such actions are worthy of emulation by
all concerned in Pakistan and India. I have no doubt that if both sides continue to live by such ideals, one day,
sooner than later our generations to come will reap the benefits of and be grateful to those making such
contributions. You would certainly be such person." [9] The Indian government stated that it would underwrite the
total cost of the Games.[10]

[edit]Organisation

[edit]Organising committee
The organisation was beset by delays: in January 2010, the Indian Olympic Association vice-chairman Raja
Randhir Singh expressed concern that Delhi was not up to speed in forming and organising its games
committee and, following a 2009 Indian Government report showing two thirds of venues were behind
schedule, Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell stated that the slow progress of
preparations represented a serious risk to the event.[11] Singh called for a revamp of the games' organising
committees:[12] Jarnail Singh, a former Secretary of the Government of India, was appointed as the Chief
Executive Officer and Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi was appointed as head of the
committee.[13] In spite of delays and the corruption casses on the organisors, commentators stated that they are
confident that India will successfully host the games and do so on time. [14][15]

At the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay in October 2009, the Business Club of India (BCI) was formed
through the partnership of the organizing committee, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The BCI was formed to both market the
Games and promote Indian business interests internationally. [16]

[edit]Costs
Terminal 3 Airport, Delhi

The official total budget estimated for hosting the Games is   11,494 crore (US$2.5 billion) and this amount
excludes non-sports-related infrastructure development in the city like airports, roads and other structures.
[17]
. Business Today magazine estimates that the games cost    300 billion (US$6.51 billion)[18]. This makes the
2010 Commonwealth Games the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever. [19]

[edit]Transport

Further information:  Transport in Delhi

Delhi proposed a four-lane, 2.2 km underground stretch from Lodhi Road to trans-Yamuna, linking the Games
Village to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and reducing travelling time between the village and the Stadium to
six minutes.

Delhi Metro
Road Transport, Delhi

Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway, Delhi

In response to concerns over the large number of trains that pass by the Delhi metropolitan region daily,
construction of road under-bridges and over-bridges along railway lines has been started. To expand road
infrastructure, flyovers, cloverleaf flyovers, and bridges have been planned to improve links for the Games and
city in general. Road-widening projects have begun with an emphasis being placed on expanding national
highways. To improve traffic flow on existing roads, plans are underway to make both the inner and outer Ring
roads signal free.

To support its commitment to mass transport, nine corridors have been identified and are being constructed as
High Capacity Bus Systems (for example, one from Ambedkar Nagar to Red Fort). Six of these corridors are
expected to be operational in 2010. Additionally, The Delhi Metro will be expanded to accommodate more
people and boost the use of public transport during the 2010 games. The metro will extend toGurgaon and
the Noida area. For this large increase in the size of the network, Delhi Metro will deploy 14 tunnel boring
machines.[20]

Indira Gandhi International Airport is being modernised, expanded, and upgraded. Costing nearly US$ 1.95
billion, Terminal 3 has improved airport passenger capacity to more than 37 million passengers a year by 2010.
A new runway has been constructed, allowing for over 75 flights an hour and – at over 4400 metres long – it
will be one of Asia's longest.

The airport will be connected to the city via a six-lane expressway (Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway) and the $580
million Delhi Airport Metro Express line.[21]

[edit]Green Games
Logo for the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games being recognised as the first ever "Green Commonwealth Games"

The organisers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment
Programme to show the

/* Green Games */

[edit]Other preparation
In preparation for an influx of English-speaking tourists for the Games, the Delhi government is implementing a
program to teach English, and the necessary skills for serving tourists, to key workers – such as cab drivers,
security workers, waiters, porters, and service staff. In the two years prior to the Games 2,000 drivers were
taught English. The program aims to teach 1,000 people English per month in the hope of reaching all key
workers by March 2010. In addition to Delhi, the Indian Government plans to expand the program to teach
people in local tourist destinations in other parts of India. [22]

To prepare for the energy-usage spike during the Games and to end chronic power cuts in Delhi, the
government is undertaking a large power-production initiative to increase power production to 7,000 MW (from
the current 4,500 MW). To achieve this goal, the government plans to streamline the power distribution
process, direct additional energy to Delhi, and construct new power plants. In fact, the government has
promised that by the end of 2010, Delhi will have a surplus of power. [23]

In addition to physical preparation, India will offer free accommodation for all athletes at the Games Village, as
well as free transport and other benefits, such as a free trip to the famed Taj Mahal and a reserved lane for
participants on selected highways.[24] The Games Village will house over 8,000 athletes and officials for the
Games. Indian states will train state police forces to handle tourist-related issues and deploy them prior to the
Games. construction and "beautification" project has resulted in the demolition of hundreds of homes and the
displacement of city dwellers – at least 100,000 of New Delhi’s 160,000 homeless people have removed from
shelters, some of which have been demolished. [25][26]Bamboo screens have been erected around city slums to
separate visitors from the sights of the slums, [27] a practice which human rights campaigners have deemed
dishonest and immoral.[28]

The Delhi High Court is set to implement a series of "mobile courts" to be dispatched throughout Delhi to
relocate migrant beggars from Delhi streets. The mobile courts would consider each beggar on a case-by-case
basis to determine whether the beggar should be sent back to his/her state of residence, or be permitted to
remain in government-shelters.[29]

[edit]Symbols

[edit]Mascot

It has been suggested that Shera (mascot) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Shera, the mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Main article:  Shera (mascot)

The official mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is Shera, an anthropomorphised tiger.[30] His name
came from "Sher", an Urdu word meaning lion (Hindi "Bagh" means tiger. However, Sher is colloquially used
for both lion and tiger). The logo and the look for the games were designed by Idiom Design and
Consulting.There is one song for Shera also composed by the popular composer of INDIA the song contains
initiative " Shera Shera " [31]

[edit]Official song
Main article:  Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto
The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto was composed and performed by
the Indian musician A. R. Rahman.[32] The song's title is based on the slogan of the games, "Come out and
play". The song is penned by Mehboob in Hindi with a sprinkling of English words. It was released on 28
August 2010.

[edit]Queen's Baton relay

The Queen's Baton Relay began when the baton, which contains Queen Elizabeth II's message to the athletes,
left Buckingham Palace on 29 October 2009. The baton will arrive at the 2010 Games opening ceremony on 3
October 2010, after visiting the other 54 nations of the Commonwealth and travelling throughout India, reaching
millions of people to join in the celebrations for the Games.The baton arrived in India on the 25th June 2010
through the Wagah Border crossing from Pakistan. [33]

The baton was designed by Michael Foley, a graduate of the National Institute of Design. [34] It is a triangular
section of aluminium twisted into a helixshape and then coated with coloured soils collected from all the regions
of India. The coloured soils are a first for the styling of a Queen's Baton. A jewel-encrusted box was used to
house the Queen's message, which was laser-engraved onto a miniature 18 carat gold leaf – representative of
the ancient Indian 'patras. The Queen's baton is ergonomically contoured for ease of use. It is 664 millimetres
high, 34 millimetres wide at the base, and 86 millimetres wide at the top and weighs 1,900 grams.

The Queen's baton has a number of technological features including:

 The ability to capture images and sound

 Global positioning system (GPS) technology so the baton's location can be tracked

 Embedded light emitting diodes (LEDs) which will change into the colours of a country’s flag whilst in
that country

 A text messaging capability so that people can send messages of congratulations and encouragement
to the baton bearers throughout the relay
[edit]Calendar

The official calendar for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is as follows: [35]

Event
    ●    Opening ceremony    ●       ●    Closing ceremony
competitions

October   3      4     5     6     7     8     9     10     11     12     13     14   Venue

Ceremonies ● ● Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Aquatics ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● SPM Swimming Pool Complex

Archery ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Yamuna Sports Complex

Athletics ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium & India Gate

Badminton ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Siri Fort Sports Complex

Boxing ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Talkatora Stadium

Cycling ● ● ● ● ● ● I. G. Indoor Stadium Complex, India Gate

Gymnastics ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● I. G. Indoor Stadium Complex

Hockey ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium

Lawn Bowls ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Netball ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Thyagaraj Sports Complex

Rugby
● ● Delhi University
sevens

Shooting ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range

Squash ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Siri Fort Sports Complex

Table Tennis ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Yamuna Sports Complex

Tennis ● ● ● ● ● ● ● R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex

Weightlifting ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Wrestling ● ● ● ● ● ● I. G. Indoor Stadium Complex

October 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Venue

[edit]Sports

There are 17 sports planned for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

 Aquatics (details)  Cycling (details) 
  Diving   Road 
  Swimming   Track 
  Synchronised swimming  Gymnastics (details) 
  Archery (8) (details)   Artistic gymnastics 
  Athletics (46) (details)   Rhythmic gymnastics 
  Badminton (6) (details)   Hockey (2) (details) 
  Boxing (11) (details)   Lawn bowls (6) (details) 

Kabaddi will also be a demonstration sport at the 2010 Games.[36]

The triathlon appears likely to be excluded from these games as there is no suitable location for the swimming
stage. The organisers have also proposed removing basketball, but want to include archery, tennis,
and billiards and snooker for men. Cricket, although in strong demand, may not make a come-back as
the Board of Control for Cricket in India were not keen on aTwenty20 tournament, and the organisers did not
want a one day tournament.[37]

[edit]Medal table
Main article:  2010 Commonwealth Games medal table

[edit]Participating nations

There are currently 72 nations planning to field teams at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. As Fiji is suspended
from the Commonwealth, it has been banned from participating in the Games. [38] Rwanda will field a team for
the games since becoming a Commonwealth member in 2009. [39]

  Anguilla   Falkland Islands   Mauritius

  Antigua and Barbuda (19)[40]
  Australia (377) [41]
  Bahamas (25) [42]
  Bangladesh (76) [43]
[44]
  Barbados (28)
  Belize (18)[45]
  Bermuda (14) [46]
  Botswana (49)[47]
  British Virgin Islands
[48]
  Brunei (11)
  Cameroon
  Canada (254)[49]
  Cayman Islands (17)[50]
  Cook Islands (31)[51]
  Cyprus
  Dominica
  Gambia   Montserrat
  Ghana   Mozambique
  Gibraltar (15)[53]   Namibia (29) [63]
  Grenada   Nauru
[54]
  Guernsey (45)    New Zealand (192)[64
  Guyana (34)[55]   Nigeria (101) [65]
  India (495) [56]   Niue
  Isle of Man (32)[57]   Norfolk Island (22)[66
  Jamaica (48)[58]   Northern Ireland (80)
[59]
  Jersey (31)    Pakistan (69)[68]
  Kenya (240)[60]   Papua New Guinea
  Kiribati   Rwanda (20) [69]
  Lesotho   Saint Helena (2)[70]
  Malawi   Saint Kitts and Nevis
[61]
  Malaysia (203)   Saint Lucia
  Maldives   Saint Vincent and the
  England (364) [52]   Malta (22) [62]   Samoa

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It is time to stop the skepticism on the Commonwealth Games   

The entire world is tarnishing our country's image and criticising by taking clues from our own mainstream
media, citizen journalism; politicians and the common man nullifying comments through blogs, Facebook,
Twitter, Orkut etc.

CJ: Neetu Banga 

  

Mon, Sep 27, 2010 12:06:26 IST

Views:

95

    Comments: 
3

Rate:            4.25 / 4 votes

Commonwealth Games 2010 : 

Commonwealth Games gift: World's biggest bus depot in Delhi

I AM sorry readers; I was among the first, who started writing about negativism around the Commonwealth
Games. Now I feel it is time to stop the skepticism on the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. Actually, the
global media has a habit of anticipating and blowing the lid out of proportion before almost major sporting
events.

There have been enough instances, when Beijing was blamed too polluted for players and visiting
delegations, preparations in Athens were described as nil, South Africahad numerous negativities et al.
However, all the countries successfully hosted their respective events.

The entire world is tarnishing our country's image and criticising by taking clues from our own mainstream
media, politicians and the common man nullifying comments through blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Orkut etc.
Looking at the high scale of corruption and other charges involved with theCommonwealth Games, we
Indians are constantly criticising Delhi's efforts. The process has, with thanks to Indian mainstream media,
made the country a laughing stock in the eyes of the international community. Is it justified?

Media could have played a more patriotic role than an ambitious one all this while and done constructive
criticism than flaring up the already deafening chorus of the detractors. Instead of proudly displaying our
abilities to the world, we as a nation were reduced to hiding our inabilities. We should not have given
anyone a chance to point a finger at us. Remember, we Indians stood united during Kargil war, now we will
have to stand again for the sake of our nation pride.

It is high time to alter criticism into concrete positive actions. After all, it is a matter of national pride to hold
the Games in our national capital. The need of the hour is to come together as a city and as a nation for
mega event. Delhiites should show their solidarity in a bid to make these Games triumphant and be ready
for being a good host so that visitors can treasure their reminiscences and trip to our country. It is our
collective failure and now participant countries have got an opportunity of making more fuss about living
conditions at the Games Village.

"I think India is giving in to the demands of our guests a little too much and getting dominated by our
guests. I have also been to number of countries and there have been times when the arrangements were
not very good but we never made such a fuss out of it," said 81 years old legendary ‘flying Sikh’ Milkha
Singh.

 
I believe India will conduct Commonwealth Games successfully as the Indian government has the potential
to do things differently. We will bounce back into action after much criticisms and delays.