Congratulations New Delhi (the city with two faces)

Colourful ceremony draws curtains on 2010 Commonwealth Games

A dazzling laser show and a musical extravaganza on marked the finale of the Commonwealth Games, the biggest sporting event hosted by India which crowned itself with sporting glory by winning an unprecedented 101 medals.

Skies over the national capital lit with multi-colour laser beams and fireworks as part of 160-minute closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium filled to capacity of 60,000 cheering sports lovers including Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi as well as other sundry VIPs.

The ceremony though was not even close to the spectacle witnessed at the opening ceremony.

 

As at the grand opening ceremony 12 days ago, all the controversies that had dogged the Games – corruption, filth, snakes, mismanagement – were momentarily forgotten because some 5000 athletes from 71 countries had sportingly competed for 826 medals of which India won 101, including 38 gold, its highest ever, to be the second in the tally behind Australia with a total of 177.

Prince Edward, patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, formally declared the 19th edition closed amid thunderous cheers from the audience.

Reading out the closure statement, the Prince said, “In the name of the Commonwealth Games Federation, I proclaim the XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 closed.

“In accordance with tradition I call upon the sportsmen and sportswomen of the Commonwealth to assemble in four years time in Glasgow, Scotland, there to celebrate the XX Commonwealth Games.”

The ceremony began with the arrival of dignitaries who included the Prime Minister, the Vice President, UPA chairperson, CGF chief Michael Fennell and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the guest of honour.

The Indian national anthem was played as the packed stand stood up in respect to mark the beginning of the closing ceremony.

Pyros took off from the roof of the stadium giving a delightful sight as countdown in Devanagri script opened up the proceedings with the crowd roaring from the stands.

There was much excitement and euphoria in store when a tribute was paid to the India’s sporting spirit, aptly titled Agni – a segment that featured the fiery and passionate tradition of the country’s martial arts.

Chants of Agni shloka preceded eight martial art forms – Kalaripayattu, Naga warriors, Thangta, Gatka, Silambam, Akhara, Dhan Patta, Talwar Raas – that enthralled the audience as skies lit up with dazzling fireworks.

Fourteen military bands, 17 pipes and drums of various regiments and batallions of the Indian Army performed in unison as pigeons were set free.

Dressed in white, 2010 Delhi school children paid tribute to the motherland performing to the tunes of Vande Mataram as they took positions to form rangoli pattern and Ashoka chakra on the field.

The performers sprinkled the tri-colour of Indian flags, signifying the festival of Holi in what turned out to be a visual delight.

In a surprise package, the Games volunteers, Delhi United, chugged into the stadium making a beeline in a display of Indian Railways legacy.

Flags of the 71 participating nations with ace shooter Gagan Narang holding the Indian tricolour entered the field together as one big contingent, signifying the bonds and friendships formed during the Games.

Saina Nehwal, who won the singles badminton title this morning, accompanied Narang during the flag’s march-past. Athletes march-past followed as the biggest Indian contingent danced in jubilation while entering the arena.

The official mascot of the Games, Shera, was given an emotional farewell as he went around the stadium accompanied by singer Shaan.

Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi in is speech said the Games had given a new beginning to Indian sports. “The sporting extravaganza has ended,” he said. “But it’s not the end, it’s just the beginning. For India, it’s a new beginning in sports,” he said as the packed stadium cheered as well as jeered to Kalmadi’s few remarks.

The ceremonial flag handover segment began with Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit saying, “In a few moments, the ceremonial flag will be entrusted to your care so that in due time you deliver it to Glasgow.”

Official representative of the 2014 host city, Robert Winter, who is the Lord Provost of Glasgow, said, “This duty I willingly undertake to fulfil,” as the Games flag was lowered with an Army band in the background.

The otherwise vociferous spectators were stunned in silence in an emotional moment of sorts as they bade farewell to the Games 2010.

Kalmadi received the flag before handing it over to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tejinder Khanna who in turn gave it to Winter.

Scottish performers soon took the centrestage proudly showcasing their country’s spirit, culture and heritage in a 10-minute Glasgow segment.

The performers began with a lone piper as the spotlight soon shifted to a giant structure that inflated and the Clyde Arc Bridge with the Armadillo and River Clyde flowing underneath was created, leaving all and sundries mesmerised.

In between, the Games president, Fennell, presented the David Dixon Award Jamaican triple jumper gold medallist Trecia Smith.

Named after the former secretary of the CGF, the award instituted in 2002 is given to the outstanding athlete of each of the Commonwealth Games based on their performance.

In all-praise of Delhi, Games president also said, “Delhi you have delivered a truly exceptional Games. Thank you Delhi,” as the 12-day sporting spectacle was declared closed by Prince Edward.

Soon a seven-minute laser show accompanied by heart-thumping music was the order of the day.

A 30-minute segment titled ‘Music of Universal Love’ featuring renowned Indian singers and musicians mesmerized the crowd in the final leg of the ceremony.

It began with DJs performing with 1000 dancers on five stages of the field in an electrifying atmosphere with a 25 stacks of speakers blaring 500,000 Watts of sound.

Musicians Taufique Qureshi, dhol players Kamal Sabri, Niladri Kumar, Bikram Ghosh, Sivamani and Raghav Sachar performed in the event.

There was also further entertainment from singers Kailash Kher, Zila Khan, Sukhwinder, Ila Arun, Usha Uthup, Shiamak Davar, Shankar Mahadevan, Shubha Mudgal, Sunidhi Chauhan and Sreeram who belted out some Indian chartbursters.

 

 

Medals Tally: Commonwealth Games XIX Delhi 2010

 

Rank Country Total Medals by Day* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gold Silver Bronze Total

1 Australia 6 17 23 23 29 18 21 6 10 16 8 74 55 48 177 2 India 4 7 13 10 14 10 15 8 8 7 5 38 27 36 101 3 England 4 8 14 21 29 20 8 7 10 17 4 37 59 46 142 4 Canada 4 3 5 12 15 11 9 7 7 2 0 26 17 32 75 5 South Africa 2 3 4 7 2 9 4 1 1 0 0 12 11 10 33 6 Kenya 0 0 3 0 3 5 3 7 6 1 4 12 11 9 32 7 Malaysia 1 4 4 1 6 1 3 3 1 4 8 12 10 14 36 8 Singapore 0 2 2 4 3 3 2 0 3 7 5 11 11 9 31 9 Nigeria 1 2 2 6 6 3 5 0 8 0 2 11 10 14 35 10 Scotland 1 2 2 1 3 5 3 2 2 5 0 9 10 7 26 11 New Zealand 0 2 5 3 9 2 2 2 3 6 2 6 22 8 36 12 Cyprus 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 4 4 3 4 11 13 Northern Ireland 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 3 3 4 10 14 Samoa 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 4 15 Wales 1 1 0 5 2 0 3 3 1 2 1 2 7 10 19 16 Jamaica 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 2 4 1 7 17 Pakistan 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 2 1 2 5 18 Uganda 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 19 Bahamas 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 5 20 Sri Lanka 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 3 21 Nauru 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 22 Botswana 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 =23 Cayman Islands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 =23 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 25 Trinidad and Tobago 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 2 6 26 Cameroon 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 4 6 27 Ghana 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 4 28 Namibia 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 =29 Papua New Guinea 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 =29 Seychelles 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 =31 Isle of Man 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 =31 Mauritius 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 =31 Tonga 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 =34 Bangladesh 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 =34 Guyana 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 =34 Saint Lucia 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

 

 

Commonwealth Games “a metaphor” for investing in India

The Commonwealth Games end on Thursday with an opportunity lost to show off New Delhi to the world after a collapsing bridge, rogue snakes, health scares and heavy-handed security took the sheen off “Incredible India”.

But India’s economic juggernaut has emerged unscathed despite dire predictions a chaotic Games could repel investors, a signal returns are too enticing for foreign firms hardened to realities of doing business in a booming trillion-dollar economy.

(For Slideshow: Commonwealth Games Highlights, click

here)

(For Slideshow: India’s medal haul at the Games, click

here#a=3)

For many Indians who only two weeks ago labelled the event the “Shame Games”, it was an unprecedented success, with the country’s best-ever gold medal tally.

“The Games has turned out to be better than worst feared,” said V. Ravichandar, head of Feedback consulting in Bangalore, which advises multinationals. “The Games were really a metaphor for investment in India. It’s not a smooth ride but things work out in the end.”

After sparse crowds ruined the atmosphere in the first week of the two-week event, crowds soon swelled, with the medal results providing a respite for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress party, which before the Games had been under pressure to save the country from international embarrassment.

They escaped to govern another day, but it may be a nail in their political coffins as a younger generation led by family scion Rahul Gandhi waits in the wings.

The wider and much publicised chaos of the preparations highlighted the gap between India and China when it comes to infrastructure. When organisers called on luxury hotel chains to clean up the athletes’ village, it underscored the fact that the private sector motor that drives India had been left out of a Games run by a state immersed in red tape, cronyism and graft.

Thus, the Games failed to be the coming-out party the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics was for China. For foreigners, delegations threatening to quit with filthy rooms, dog faeces and dengue-carrying mosquitoes in the Games Village were the overarching memory.

 

“TYPICAL OF STEREOTYPES”

It was a sign of the health of India’s business that the blue-chip Sensex stock index hit a near three year high during the Games. India has attracted a record $21.4 billion in foreign funds into stocks this year — one-third of that since September. State-run Coal India is poised to launch a $3.5 billion IPO, the country’s largest, that is expected to see heavy investor demand.

It underscores how private industry in the country is booming thanks to tens of millions of Indians aspiring to the middle class. Companies likeBharti Airtel are expanding to Africa and companies like Tata Motors have bought the iconic brands of Jaguar and Land Rover.

A report by credit research agency Moody’s Analytics before the Games said negative publicity could tarnish India’s image as a foreign investment destination.

There was also no evidence that one of the most expensive sports events ever, costing some $6 billion, would bring in $5 billion in new investment predicted by organisers.

“The image of India has become of the most typical of the stereotypes,” said Robinder Sachdev, head of the New Delhi-based Imagindia Institute think-tank, which estimated the Games would cost India $90 billion in lost investor confidence.

“I think that while many senior managers understand India, the Games may have become an issue in the boardroom when a company, say, is making a decision to invest a car factory in India or Indonesia.”

The country needs to spend $500 billion between 2007 and 2012 in infrastructure and is already behind schedule. It can take 10 days to transport a new car from its southern Indian factory to a car dealership in Punjab when each state can require a raft of paperwork and bribes.

But foreign executives have few places left of this scale in terms of markets where they can bet on long-term returns.

“In a sense, India stands out internationally,” said Amit Tandon, managing director of Fitch rating agency in India. “It may be difficult to come in, but once you are in you make money.”

That may signal more complacency ahead from the country’s leaders, increasingly focused on state elections next year rather than long-term economic reforms.

“I do hope at the end of the Games, someone in Congress or the prime minister will sit down and take stock of the situation,” said Tandon.

(Additional reporting by Tony Munroe; Editing by Paul de Bendern and Nick Macfie)

Commonwealth Games 2010 – Closing Ceremony {PHOTO- highlights}

The Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is illuminated by lasers during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/B Mathu

Fireworks explode over the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/Adnan Abid

A dancer, illuminated by lasers, performs during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/Adnan Abid

The Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is illuminated by lasers during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/B Mathur

Performers participate during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/B Mathu

A performer plays bagpipe during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/B Mathur

Indian Sikh artists perform during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A general view shows Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A general view shows Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/B Mathur

Performers participate during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Performers participate during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010.  REUTERS/B Mathu

Chief of India’s ruling Congress party Sonia Gandhi (L), India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (C, in blue turban), Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur (2nd L), India’s Vice President Hamid Ansari (2nd R) and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, attend the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010.
REUTERS/B Mathu

Performers play bagpipes during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathu

The Indian national flag is projected onto a balloon during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathu

A dancer, illuminated by lasers, performs during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Adnan Abid

ndian soldiers play musical instruments during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Adnan Abid

Performers participate during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathur

A performer participates during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

Fireworks explode over the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Krishnendu Halde

Performers participate during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, speaks during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathur

Performers participate in the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony as the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is illuminated by lasers in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

Fireworks explode over the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathur

Singer Shaan performs during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/Danish Ismail

The Jawaharlal Nehru stadium is illuminated by lasers during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathur

Fireworks explode over the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony in New Delhi October 14, 2010. REUTERS/B Mathur

XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi (photo) – (Closing Ceremony on Thursday, 14 October, 2010)

BBC….

Commonwealth Games, Delhi.

As celebrations go, the atmosphere was delightful, verging on delirious. Over almost three humid hours in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium a Commonwealth Games that at several points over the past two years had looked perilously close to being stillborn finally sprang to kicking, caterwauling life.

There was pomp, there was partying, there was national pride by the bucketful. Flags fluttered. Horns were honked, tablas tapped. A 100m-high tree sprouted into the sky. The infield filled with thousands of sweaty, strangely-suited athletes from Ghana to Guernsey, Scotland to Samoa.

If you wanted to be dazzled dizzy by it all, it was all there for you. Bollywood film directors hundreds of miles to the south-west would have watched this spectacular, looked at their own forthcoming epics and suddenly felt rather overshadowed.

And if you wanted to look past the frenzied fun and fireworks? On the night that was supposed to see giddy celebration replace shoddy preparation, only occasionally did the troubled build-up to these games come creeping through the cracks.

Central to Sunday’s ceremony was an enormous aerostat or helium balloon, a vast inflatable backdrop to all the light and noise and supposedly the largest of its kind anywhere in the world.

Entertainers perform underneath a giant aerostat at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Photo : Getty Images

On a night rich with symbolism, both in the tangible shape of the giant Indian flags created on the stadium floor by hundreds of dancers and in the sense that the eyes of much of the world were on the country’s capital, the looming presence of the balloon was impossible to ignore.

The hosts are duty-bound to produce something spectacular at an opening ceremony. Failure to shock and awe, to set a few world records off the track as well as on it, gives the impression of a country struggling to pay its way at the top table.

Throughout the festivities the aerostat looked amazing, a mesmerising bauble glittering in the sticky night sky. At the same time, spending almost £10m on a giant balloon in a country when so many try to live on less than a pound a day could only kick up uncomfortable moral questions.

Seated high in the stands it was easy to be swept away with the boisterous nationalism, the sense that all the nightmares of the build-up had been worth it.

In the Bangali Sweet House, a mile or so from upmarket Connaught Place, the mood was similarly upbeat, even as few bothered watching the pictures on the television set in the corner.

“I’m so excited,” shopkeeper Girish Aggarwal told a BBC colleague. “It’s a special thing, we will prove ourselves to the world. “It’s not Delhi, it’s the whole of India. Everyone is feeling proud.”

Chirayo Acharya agreed with him. “Many people were feeling let down by the negative news but now it’s started, let’s get on with it. It shows the world that Delhi is a global city and can deliver the Games.”

Further afield, though, the mood was noticeably different. Two hours away from the stadium is a rough shanty-town suburb called Bawana, where some of the estimated 140,000 families forcibly evicted to make room for the athletes’ village were re-settled.

To say it is a world away from the glitz and glamour of the opening ceremony is something of an understatement. Muhammad Salem lives in a small shack made of wood and plastic sheeting, with an electricity supply that is intermittent at best.

“Life was better before,” he said the day before the festivities. “There were hospitals and the roads were better there. There are no jobs here and crime has increased. We’re happy the Games are in India, but we haven’t benefited at all.”

The shanty-town suburb Bawana, two hours outside Delhi

Zaki Ahmed is a doctor at a local clinic. He too was re-settled when the land for the athletes’ village was requisitioned; the tiniest portion of that aerostat’s cost would make an enormous difference to his life and those of the patients he treats.

‘It’s hard to get hold of medicines here,” he said. “The Government hasn’t done any spraying of mosquitoes in the area, and 80% of people here have typhoid, malaria ordengue fever.”

For miles around the stadium all day long, streets were empty of the usual hassle and bustle, the only moving presence the thousands of security staff who have been the most visible sign of the Commonwealths in the last two days.

The numbers are vast – 28,378 policemen, 5,000 paramilitaries, 100 anti-sabotage teams, 300 sniffer dogs, 80 radiation meters and 15 bomb disposal squads – and if the organisers cannot be blamed for the wider political problems that require such measures, it can only be an unsettling sight at an event known as the Friendly Games.

Then there’s the bums-on-seats issue. It’s one thing kicking off with a rousing opening ceremony, quite another making the days that follow just as memorable. So far, only 250,000 of almost 1.7m tickets have been sold. That’s a lot of ghostly venues, and a lot of anti-climactic finals.

These games as a whole will cost India somewhere between £3bn and £4bn, depending on which estimate you prefer, a staggering 60 times the original budget.

Should those vast sums, added to the stories of ordinary Delhites like Muhammad and Zaki, detract from the extraordinary atmosphere inside the stadium when Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra led the Indian team out?

The feelings of many Indians seemed to be encapsulated by the reception given to Suresh Kalmadi, head of the organising committee, when he took to the rostrum just after the home team had completed their rapturous lap of the infield.

As his face appeared on the giant screens, whistles and boos rang out around the stadium, reflecting the embarrassment many had felt over the crisis-hit preparations and worldwide headlines of the past fortnight, the same mortification that had led the Tribune newspaper to refer to “a national shame” and the Deccan Chronicle to “a bunch of inept, inefficient and corrupt administrators”.

When Kalmadi looked up and stated, “India is ready,” that derision turned to roars of approval. When he followed that by reminding those watching that, “We have the second fastest-growing economy in the world,” the cheers got even louder.

Big multi-sport events are as much about showcasing the host nation as they are about mere sport. Two summers ago in Beijing we kept hearing that the Olympics were China’s coming-out party. These Commonwealths, and the Olympics that the organisers hope might follow in 2020, are meant to serve the same purpose for a similarly booming nation.

“INDIA! INDIA” yelled the thousands around the stadium in unison as Prince Charles rose to read the Queen’s address. The message could not have been clearer.

This was a night for forgetting the painful gestation, for postponing any worries about the quality of the sport we might witness over the next 11 days or the importance of the Commonwealth Games in a rapidly-changing 21st century world.

All those issues are still there. Come Monday, Usain Bolt will still be in Jamaica, Jessica Ennis in Sheffield, David Rudisha in Kenya. Muhammad will still be stranded in Bawana.

What’s changed is that, along with the comical tales of cobras under athletes’ beds and sobering stories of corruption, collapsing bridges and missing stars, there is finally a genuine sense of excitement in the Delhi air.

 

 

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Curtain rung down on Delhi extravaganza

The brilliant show over the last 12 days, portrayed in full by the dreams and aspirations of the youth within the Commonwealth, passed in to the recess of history as the biggest ever Commonwealth Games came to a close here on Thursday evening in an atmosphere marked with relaxed friendship, camaraderie and colourful festivity.

And finally as the curtain of the quadrennial extravaganza, held in Asia for the second time, was rung down at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, there was a tear in almost every eye as the nearly 7000 participants bid goodbye to the National capital with a heavy heart.

When compared to the October 3 opening ceremony, which was marked with both glitz and glamour, the grand finale would have fallen short of expectations.

EXHILARATING

But nevertheless, there was still a variety of dances, exhilarating music and warmth in every segment, carefully crafted for the evening.

The mood of the occasion, however, often criss-crossed the expected boundaries as the 60,000 crowd got involved, lustily cheering and encouraging the artistes with standing ovations.

The ceremony got to its official business with the arrival of dignitaries including the Vice President, M. Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, the UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi and the CGF president, Michael Fennell.

The solemnity of the occasion was also marked by the rendering of the National anthem and the tricolours fluttering in the giant aerostat, which was re-erected for the day’s proceedings.

And straightaway, the table was laid out with the opening segment labelled Agni, featuring the fiery and passionate traditions of Indian martial arts; some of them having originated more than 3000 years ago.

There was no shortage of entertainment as the artistes of eight martial forms — Kalaripayattu, Naga Warriors, Thang-Ta, Gatka, Silambam, Akhada, Dhan Patta and Talwaar Raas — set the tone and tenor of the celebrations with their dexterity and skillfulness.

The display of the Military band, which took centre-stage thereafter, too was simply a standout affair as it regaled the audience with the rendering of popular patriotic songs including “Sare Jahan Se Acha” which served to lift the spirits of the entire gathering.

The tempo was further driven to a crescendo as school children served out the main offering of the day — captivating the crowd and leaving them speechless — with a flawless display to the tune of the National song, Vande Mataram. A tribute to the motherland it definitely was as the 2010 participants wove patterns in rangoli fashion and then continued to form the Ashoka Chakra exactly in the middle of the field.

Quite naturally, the crowd was driven to a world of delirium and even as the ambience remained electrifying, there was no hesitation on the part of the audience to provide a standing ovation to the athletes — the real heroes of the Games — as they trouped in through a jumbled march past.

This marked the commencement of the protocol part of the evening, with Shera, the mascot of the Games, bidding goodbye. The Organising Committee chairman, Suresh Kalmadi, was jeered once again as he delivered a formal welcome, leading to the handing over of the CGF flag to the next host city of the Games by the Delhi Lt.Governor, Tejinder Khanna..

It was received by chairman of the Glasgow 2014 OC chairman, the Lord Smith of Kelvin. This was followed by a presentation of Glasgow OC.

MEMORABLE AFFAIR

The stage was finally set for the official closing of the Games, and Mr. Fennell in his address said that the Games had captured the attention of the world before acknowledging that Delhi 2010 has been a truly memorable affair.

“Delhi, you have delivered a truly exceptional Games. Thank you Delhi,” he said. Jamaican triple jumper and gold medallist Trecia Smith was awarded the David Dixon award for being the best athlete of the Games before Prince Edward officially announced the closing of the Games.

The highlight of the post-protocol events was a laser show and the musical gala featuring a host of noted singers. The grand spectacle as it drew to a close also saw the Delhi skies being lit up by some spectacular fireworks. The air, filled with clouds of smoke, was also soaked with a tinge of sadness. Goodbye Delhi!

 

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: A treat for the senses

India has always been described as highly colourful and tantalising to the senses and the Closing Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi was no different. Just when people thought the heart-pounding excitement seen over the last two weeks would die down once the sporting action at Delhi 2010 concluded, it just went up a notch! And then it went up further!

The declaration announcing the conclusion of Delhi 2010 was celebrated by a stunning laser show that projected a perfect blend of technical wizardry and artistic elegance. As the awed spectators watched, there was more to come.

If there’s one thing that India is renowned for, it’s for knowing how to put on a musical show.  The lasers slowly faded away, and it was, as the emcee said, time to rock! Several chart-topping musicians, across the genres of Sufi, Folk, Global and Indi-Pop, performed a medley of hits. DJs Nasha, Sunny Sarid, Midival Punditz and Suketu spun their magic as Kailash Kher, Zila Khan, Sukhwinder, Ila Arun, Usha Uthup, Shaan, Shiamak Davar, Shankar Mahadevan, Shubha Mudgal, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sreeram, Kamal Sabri, Niladri Kumar, Bikram Ghosh, Sivamani, Raghav Sachar, Taufique Qureshi and dhol players showcased a unique mix of Indian heritage and modern pop culture.

Adding zest to the already spicy Indian flavor were the dance troupes whose presence seemed to make the stadium seem like that most famous of Indian customs – a wedding!  Even as the audience sang along with several chart-busting numbers, the athletes could be seen dancing with abandon. Indeed a carnival atmosphere!

And to wrap it up in style, there was a supremely spectacular pyrotechnic show that not only drew appreciative gasps from those present at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, but even those miles away!

 

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Scottish Bagpipers spell charm during the Closing Ceremony

Scotland, which will host the next Commonwealth Games, today literally charmed their way into the hearts of everyone present in the Closing Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi with their melodious music and performance.

The Scots, who performed after the Flag handing over ceremony, first played a short video showcasing Scotland’s landscapes, people, architecture and culture.

As the film ended, the spotlight beamed on the lone piper dressed in the Scottish traditional dress played the Bagpipe.
As the music intensified, 352 Scottish performers moved towards the piper. They danced and played their Bagpipes receiving shouts of joy and thunderous applause from the about 60,000 strong spectators.

The crowd cheered them on as they made various projections including the famous Clyde auditorium, known as the ‘Armadillo’. They performed the Highland Fling, one of the oldest traditional Highland dances of Scotland and the crowd cheered them further.

At no point did the spectators stop clapping for the Scots during their 10-minute performance. Sitting inside the stadium was also a stand full of Scottish people who raised their flags and cheered for their countrymen.
The XX Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow in 2014

 

COMMONWEALTH GAMES: Delhi Commonwealth Games close on a high

Delhi put on a second flawless spectacle of song and dance on Thursday to close theCommonwealth Games on a high after at one stage threatening to become a national embarrassment to India.

The $6 billion Games started in crisis and struggled through a first week of organisational blunders before finally getting into its stride to leave athletes happy and a host nation proud of its best ever showing in the sporting arena.

Chief local organiser Suresh Kalmadi, who bore the brunt of public anger and was jeered at the closing ceremony as he had been at the opening, paid tribute to the spirit the city had shown in bringing the Games back from crisis.

“A month ago questions were being asked about whether the Games would be held at all,” he said. “We knew it was about India’s ability to stand up and show the world what we are capable of and we can achieve in the face of adversity. We did just that.”

India’s hope was that the Games would display its ability to put on a world class multi-sport gathering but chaotic preparations and a series of organisational blunders turned it into a public relations disaster.

India is proud of being the “jugaadu” — the Hindi word for “making do” — nation, however, and the filthy athletes’ village was quickly made fit for habitation, a collapsed footbridge was reconstructed by the army and security was effective.

“The organisation of this Games has been characterised by many challenges and (they) have overcome those obstacles to deliver a truly outstanding event,” Games Federation chief Michael Fennell told the 60,000 crowd at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Earlier, India’s badminton queen Saina Nehwal clawed her way back from match point down to claim a 38th gold for the hosts and ensure second place on the medal table, their best ever finish.

Australia topped the table for the sixth successive Games with 74 gold medals with England (37) just edged into third ahead of Canada (26). South Africa, Kenya and Malaysia won 12 golds.

The centre of Indian capital was again locked down on Thursday with reports in the British media of a specific threat to the closing ceremony a reminder of security concerns which caused some athletes to stay away from Delhi.

Rajan Bhagat, a spokesman for Delhi police, ruled out any new threat and said the 100,000 police and military who have been guarding Delhi and the various Games venues were not reinforced.

“There is adequate security and there is no change in the levels of threat perception,” he said.

After marching bands and the handover of the Games flag to the 2014 host city Glasgow, the David Dixon award for the Athlete of the Games went to Jamaica’s Trecia Smith, who successfully defended her triple jump title.

 

PASSIONATE FANS

It was India’s success in the sporting arena, however, that helped turn the event around with crowds flocking to venues that had been virtually empty at the beginning of the 12-day event.

“This is not the end but the beginning,” Kalmadi, who is also President of the Indian Olympic Association, added. “For the athletes this was a life-changing experience. For India it was a new beginning in sports. For the world, it was what India can do.”

Nehwal showed what she could do when she beat Malaysia’s Mew Choo Wong in front of a delirious packed house at the Siri Fort complex.

“The crowd was really important,” Nehwal said. “I’ve never been match point down before so I was under pressure. I think it was the toughest match of my career.”

Kenya won both men’s and women’s gold in the marathon, which kicked off the final day, to complete its domination of the athletics with 11 golds.

Few spectators braved the security barriers and morning heat but the city’s wildlife was again out in force with police chasing stray dogs and using sticks to clear monkeys from the course.

Indian’s men’s hockey team failed in their quest to win a first Games gold, humbled 8-0 by triple defending champions Australia.

Despite the Delhi belly stomach complaints and the security that kept them mostly locked up in the village, athletes were mostly positive about their Delhi experience.

“There were spectacular venues and really caring people ensured all our needs were met,” said Canada’s chef de mission Martha Deacon. “The Games are an incredible success. We had a great two weeks in Delhi.”

(Additional reporting by Sudipto Ganguly, Patrick Johnston, Krittivas Mukherjee, Suzanne Plunkett, Amlan Chakraborty and Urvashi Sibal; Editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)