The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi

The Commonwealth Games celebrates the athletic exploits of sovereign states once part of the vast British Empire. One explicit intention of the Olympic-style event is to foster a sense of unity among nations who, because of a mutual experience and history through links to the Crown, share a common bond (or bondage, as it was). The natural dissolution of British colonial rule over time has led some to question the relevance of the Commonwealth of Nations and indeed, the Commonwealth Games itself.

Despite occasional disputes however – Pakistan, South Africa and Nigeria have all spent considerable time in the proverbial Commonwealth dog house – the Games still serve as a powerful symbol of harmony and friendship. After all, the modern-day Commonwealth of Nations is not a political or military alliance like NATO but a coalition of states, who on paper at least, work in accord to promote world peace, individual liberty, democracy and good governance. Thus, with the motto “Humanity, Equality, Destiny”, thousands of athletes from 72 teams will descend on Delhi from October 3-14 to take part in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

While twice host of the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982, Delhi and indeed India, has not seen the likes of a multi-sport event quite like the Commonwealth Games. The National Capital Territory of India beat out Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – the first host of the Games in 1930 – for the honour. With that, the eyes of much of the world will focus on the immense metropolis of 20 million people come October 2010.

Delhi’s Commonwealth Games has already won one impressive, and perhaps dubious, distinction: most expensive Games ever. The total budget for the event is somewhere in the £1 billion range – and that excludes infrastructure projects like airport, road and mass transport improvements, all of which Delhi was in dire need of to begin with. As a result, Indira Gandhi International got a serious facelift in the run-up to the Games. The airport can now accommodate 37 million passengers a year, thanks to a state-of-the-art new terminal and 4.4 km-long runway (a record for Asia). Swish refurbs to Delhi hotels also look to impress visitors and athletes alike.

The focus come October 3 however, will be on Delhi’s sports arenas and stadiums. Commonwealth Games athletes will compete in:

• Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi – Athletics, lawn bowls, weightlifting
• Indira Gandhi Arena – Archery, cycling, gymnastics, wrestling
• Yamuna Sports Complex – Table tennis
• Dhyan Chand National Stadium – Hockey
• RK Khanna Tennis Complex – Tennis
• Talkatora Stadium – Boxing
• Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range – Shooting
• SPM Swimming Pool Complex – Aquatics
• Siri Fort Sports Complex – Badminton, Squash
• Thyagaraj Stadium – Netball
• Delhi University sports complex – Rugby sevens

The focal point of the Delhi Commonwealth Games will be without question, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Renovations to the headquarters of the Indian Olympic Association will allow up to 75,000 spectators to comfortably enjoy various track and field events.

Another vital aspect of the 2010 Commonwealth Games is a commitment by the host city, nation and participants to engage in “best sustainable practices”. Ever-complex with multi-sport events as big and exigent on the environment as the Commonwealth Games, the Delhi committee nonetheless made a pledge to the United Nations to hold the first-ever “Green Games”. Despite criticism from some in the eco-advocate community, supporters of the Commonwealth Games point, for example, to world-class benchmarks set in the construction of the Thyagaraj Sports Complex. The netball stadium features a rainwater management system, solar energy and green technology materials.

International tourists who descend on Delhi for the Commonwealth Games will encounter a metropolis transformed. Vast beautification measures have indelibly altered the cityscape of the capital. In a controversial initiative, entire slums have either been razed or cut off from view by immense bamboo screens. Parks have been newly landscaped, boulevards lined with trees, historic landmarks revitalized, and English taught to cab drivers, hotel porters, clerks and service industry personnel. The fervent effort to scrub the capital region for the Commonwealth Games is all part of a grand, unambiguous attempt to market and showcase Delhi to the world.