Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi is a Huge Success

By hosting the games successfully, India had shown to the world that it can also host Olympics. The opening ceremony held at Jawaharlal Nehru
Stadium New Delhi was very colorful, and succeeded to show Indian culture and traditions in near perfect conditions.

The games began on October 3rd with a fabulous opening ceremony on a very good note, and ended on October 14th 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 include president of India Pratibha Patil, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Prince
Charles, who attended as representative of commonwealth head-Queen Elizabeth II, the organizing committee Chairman, Suresh Kalmadi. While
praising India for organizing successful event Mike Fennell said, ‘games ceremonies would be a cherishing experience ever’

The venues were of high standard, and the facilities provided to athletes and officials for accommodation were also quite impressive. The Games were
organized in a safe and orderly manner, and all were according to the rules and bye-laws of international federations. Training centers were
constructed scientifically, and were well planned. The players who came from various countries were satisfied with the facilities provided to them in
India. Almost all sports leaders and dignitaries of foreign countries praised India for its excellent arrangements of accommodation, food and transport.

the credit for the success of the games must go to the authorities including the staff and security forces. Spectators who watched the events silently
without creating chaos and confusion were also eligible to get credit. They warmly welcomed the games, and showed great enthusiasm throughout the
event. Most importantly the athletes, who participated in the games showed their sporty spirit and passion towards the games.       
Ultimately, successful organization of the games proved that India has the capability to hold such games in future. 

Times of India:

an overwhelming majority of the foreign media is singing praises - some fulsome, a few grudging - about the way the
Games were overall conducted. 

The latest headlines are: Delhi's Commonwealth showing a winner, after all (Vancouver Sun) and CWG
2010: India has every right to be proud after torrid build-up (Daily Telegraph), Games 2010 finish with India
triumphant (Guardian) and Delhi bellyachers the losers as Games overcome hurdles in strong finish (Sydney Morning
Herald). 

Sydney Morning Herald even carried an online poll; the question being, Would you rate the Delhi Games a success?
81% said yes

Randy Starkman of Toronto Star, writes, "Just as Canada is dominated by hockey and everything else is a distant
second, the same applies to India and cricket. But at these Games so many new heroes were born for India, such as
the women's 4x400-metre relay team. 

Already, there is talk of India going after an Olympics. That would have been laughed off before the Games started,
and rightly so. But they've likely put themselves back in the running by pulling this off in good fashion.

"Obviously, they're going to have to ramp up their organizational resources and improve their preparation and
planning to have any shot at it. But Rio's got the 2016 Olympics and it could be argued these Games were more
impressive than the 2007 Pan Ams staged in Brazil." 

John Mackinnon also writes in the Vancouver Sun, "Having covered the Pan American Games in Rio, which that
equally problematic city leveraged into a successful Olympic bid, it seems fair to say that Delhi's organizational effort
was in many ways superior to Rio's."

John Mackinnon also writes in the Vancouver Sun, "Having covered the Pan American Games in Rio, which that
equally problematic city leveraged into a successful Olympic bid, it seems fair to say that Delhi's organizational effort
was in many ways superior to Rio's."

Jessica Halloran writes in the Australian newspaper Courier Mail, "In the end we all were in love with India - they
were gracious hosts - but we never fell for the Games' organising committee. Ask any Delhiite and they would speak
about the shame this bungling, bumbling and self-serving committee had brought upon them. But the people of India,
their goodwill and their kindness, triumphed over the OC's chaos and corruption in the end. Somehow it all came
together." 

London-based newspaper Daily Telegraph was one of the most vicious critics of the Games. Jacquelin Magnay writes
in the same newspaper, "Such was the low expectations of a struggling and ineffectual organising committee, fuelled
by the betel-nut stains on lavatory bowls, piles of rubble and unfinished construction at the athletes' village two weeks
before the opening ceremony, the Games were going to be a success if they started, and a huge success if they
finished." 

Nonetheless, the newspaper also admits, "The Indians have a right to feel warm about their justified claims that the
Games were happy and reasonably well run, amid the country's bigger social and economic struggles." 

It also quotes Kelly Holmes, president of Commonwealth Games England, as saying that athletes who withdrew
before the Games might well be regretting their decision. 

BBC:

The Games overcame concerns on security and infrastructure to end with a lively closing ceremony, as the hosts'
mantle was officially passed to Glasgow 2014.

"Delhi has performed," said Fennell. "The competition has gone well, the venues were of a high standard and the
athletes are happy.
"We had to deal with a number of issues but the end result has been good."
Fennell conceded that the decision to award the Games to Delhi had been questioned in many quarters as
preparations fell behind schedule.

There were serious problems with the athletes' village and certain venues, while other setbacks included a
collapsed pedestrian footbridge, ticketing confusion, poor crowds and big-name withdrawals.
But Fennell maintained that Delhi deserved the chance to stage its first multi-sport event since the 1982 Asian
Games and insisted it had proved a worthy host.

"Before the Games people were asking me 'why are you going to India? Why are you going to Delhi? When are you
going to cancel the Games?'," he said.
"But we felt it was our job to fix what was wrong not give up. A year out from the Games people asked 'what is
your Plan B?' I said 'our Plan B is Delhi'.
"I don't blame the media for exposing what had to be exposed. It was important to expose some of the
fundamental problems and that helped. It helped us to get action going in some areas.

The ceremony followed a day of competition in which India won a late badminton gold to leapfrog England into
second place in the final medals table.
India's athletes performed beyond all expectations, with highlights including a memorable triumph for their
women's 4x400m relay team and 10 wrestling golds.