CWG Day 8: All three medals to Indian women in discus throw

India continues an impressive run in the Commonwealth Games medal tally after Indian women swept gold, silver and bronze in the discus.Krishna Poonia won gold, bagging the top spot with a throw of 61.51-meters, thus becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold in athletics at the Games in New Delhi.

India’s first Commonwealth Games gold medal in track and field came in 1958 when Milkha Singh won the 440-yard track event in Cardiff.

On Monday, Harwant Kaur won silver with a throw of 60.16 meters and Seema Antil a bronze with a 58.46-meter throw.

Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the Games Organizing Committee presented the medals as the crowd in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium went wild for Ms. Poonia. The Hindi presenter called for another round of applause for the medal winners as a modern version of the song Vande Mataram was played.

The first medal to come India’s way on the eighth day of competition was from its shooters.

Tejaswini Sawant and Meena Kumari won a bronze medal in the 50-meter women’s pairs rifle event.

India’s aspirations of winning a bagful of gold medals from boxing were dashed after Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh was knocked out in the semi-final of the 75-kilogram boxing competition.

Amandeep Singh, Jai Bhagwan and Dilbag Singh won a bronze medal each in 49-kilogram, 60-kilogram and 69-kilogram events.

India’s favorite badminton player Saina Nehwal entered into the quarter-finals after defeating Nigerian Caroline Black 21-0, 21-2.

Australia is currently leading the Games’ overall scoreboard with 139 medals; England stands second with 106 medals followed by India with 81 medals.

Ho-Ho bus service launched for Commonwealth Games visitors

Recently launched by Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit, the service will offer visitors to the mega sporting event a hassle free and smooth ride to tourists to monuments, museums and markets.

Ho-Ho name sounds somewhat interesting when it is connected with a bus service. What is Ho-Ho? It stands for ‘hop on, hop off’ (Ho-Ho) bus service, modeled on popular concept of transport facilities in European countries and this is first time in India that such services will be provided to visitors during Commonwealth Games  in capital. After getting low floor green colour buses and red colour air conditioned buses, it is time for Delhiites to see new purple colour buses on the roads.

Recently launched by Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit, the service will offer visitors to the mega sporting event a hassle free and smooth ride to tourists to monuments, museums and markets. In this service, buses would ply on the designated route every half an hour so that tourists do not have any obligation on time spent at a spot. They can board the buses anywhere they want to and go to the next destination. Tourists can hop on and hop off at any of the stops along the way as per their expediency. The buses will ply from 8 am. to 8 pm through the year.

The bus service will ferry the visitors to not only to the historical monuments, museums and other popular tourist destinations but also to authentic Indian restaurants and popular markets. Tourists using this bus service do not have to need to stand in the queue to buy their entry tickets for historical monument as entry tickets will be available for sale inside the ‘Ho-Ho’ bus.

The buses will start from Coffee Home, Baba Karag Singh Marg in Connuaght Place and will have stoppages at Delhi Gate, Red Fort, Raj Ghat, National Gallery of Modern Art India Gate, Purana Quila, Humayuns Tomb, Defence Colony Metro Station, Lotus Temple, Metropolitan Mall Saket/Select City Walk, Qutab Minar, Hauz Khas Village, Dilli Haat (INA), Safdarjung Tomb, Santushti near Hotel Samrat, Teen Murti Marg-Nehru Museum, National Museum Janpath and Jantar Mantar.

The visitors will be able to visit Khooni Darwaza, Feroz Shah Kotla, Gandhi Museum, Ambedkar Stadium, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Salimgarh Fort, various Samadhis around Raj Ghat, National Stadium, Children's Park, India Gate, Pragati Maidan, Crafts Museum, National Zoological Park, Isa Khan Tomb, Nizamuddin Dargah, Gole Gumbaj, Sunderwala Burj, Defence Colony Market, Lajpat Nagar Central Market, Kalkaji District Park, ISKCON Temple, Hotel Intercontinental Eros, Hilton Garden Inn, Garden of Five Senses, Quila Rai Pithora, Ahimsa Sthal, Butterfly Park, Indian Handicraft Emporium, Deer Park, Hauz Rani monument, Hauz Khas Market, Dilli Haat, INA Market, Lodi Garden, Jaipur Polo Ground, Nehru Planetarium, Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, Janpath Market, Crafts Emporium, etc.

The bus which is equipped with state of art technologies like digital video screens and GPS system also has trained guides and guest relations executives who will be responsible for giving information about the sites. After Games, government will start an open-roof service for tourists in the winter season only so that the tourists can enjoy winter of Delhi too.

Tourists can download city maps, information brochures and informative videos to plan their trip better. Information such as type of hotel, booking services, bed and breakfast establishments, guest houses, transport and flight services, currency converter and weather updates besides detailed information on city’s heritage, must-see attractions and eateries are being made available at the click of a mouse even before they set out for Delhi.

The purple-coloured air-conditioned buses will hit the roads from Oct 1, 2010. From September 28th to 30th, 2010 the buses will offer free rides to under-privileged children and senior citizens. The bus will charge Rs.300 from adult and Rs.150 from every child less than three feet in height.

The service is provided by joint venture between Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Prasanna Purple Mobility Solutions Private Ltd, Pune and Urban Mass Transit Company Ltd (UMTC) and contract is for next ten years.

for more information visit http://www.hohodelhi.com

India look forward to seven medals in boxing

India are looking up to their star-studded boxing squad that includes Olympic Games bronze medallist Vijender Singh, to provide a further impetus to their medal harvest on the eighth day of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Monday. Seven boxers would be seen in the ring in which the semi
final bouts would be contested and even a loss at this stage would assure them of at least a bronze, but it's certain all of them would be targeting the gold. The seven are: Anandeep Singh (lt.-fly), Suranjoy Singh (fly), Jai Bhagwan (lt. welter), Manoj Kumar (lt. welter), Dilbag Singh (welter), Vijender Singh (middle) and Paramjeet Samota (super heavy).

Their opponents are from Northern Ireland, Pakistan, England, Bahamas and Tonga. Today's winners would progress to the finals on Wednesday after Tuesday's break. Thus far, India's tally includes 29 gold, just one shy of their all-time best of 30 in 2002 at Manchester, 22 silver and as many bronze medals and is made up mainly of those won in the shooting range and on the wrestling mat.

Out of the total gold heist, the shooters, who are still in the fray, have scooped up 13, the all-powerful wrestlers and the fast-improving archers - both through with their campaign - have picked up 10 and 3 respectively. Also, out of the record overall medal heist of 73, these three sports have injected 51 - a sure indication of their vast contribution.

The surprise packet for India have been the athletes who have garnered two silver and as many bronze medals, also the best-ever from any single Games. The medal winners have been field athletes Vikas Gowda (men's discus), Prajusha Malliakal (women's long jump), Harminder Singh (men's 20km road walk) and Kavita Raut (women's 10,000m).

Today, triple jump hope Renjit Maheshwari would be in action along with seasoned women's discus throwers Krishna Pooniya and Seema Antil. Young Gayatri Govindraj takes her bow in women's 100m hurdles while preliminary rounds of all four relay events would also be gone through and India have entered in all.

In rugby 7s, India - who are making their debut - lost to Wales. In shooting, world champion Tejaswini Sawant and Meena Kumari are in fray in the 50m rifle prone event for women along with skeet shooters Allan Daniel Peoples and Mairaj Ahmad Khan. Sarabjit Singh will appear in men's 105kg Weightlifting competition.

There's Indian presence in the squash doubles event too. Indians would also seen in action in table tennis and badminton's individual competitions.

India on verge of CWG medals record as 16 gold medals at stake on Day 8

With 16 gold medals at stake on the eighth day of the XIXth Commonwealth Games, India would be keen to continue the impressive run as they are on the verge of equalling their best ever Commonwealth Games gold medals record today.

India has so far won 29 gold and another gold would put them level with their all time list of 30 gold, which they achieved in 2002 Manchester Games.

Out of six gold medals in Athletics on Monday, all eyes would be on discus thrower Krishna Pooniya and Renjit Maheshwari, who will compete in men's triple jump.

Despite showing a dismal performance in the 2010 Games so far, the Indian swimmers and divers would look to better their performance today with Hari Prasad Thimmarayappa and Manesh Kumar Mohan competing in men's 3m-springboard event, and Hrutika Parvatayya Shriram and Deepti Panwar in women's 10m-platform event at the SP Mukherjee Swimming Stadium today.

Indian boxers Suranjoy Singh and Amandeep Singh will be fighting in their respective semi-finals.

Indian shooters have been impressive in the 2010 Games and will eye upon gold today as well. Tejaswini Sawant and Meena Kumari will participate in the Women's 50m Prone Rifle Pairs event, while Allan Daniel Peoples and Mairaj Ahmad Khan will aim for gold in the Men's Skeet Pairs event.

Weightlifter Sarabjit fight for gold in 105+kg Men Finals.

The gold medals at stake today include: aquatics (2), athletics (6), lawn bowls (2), shooting (5) and weightlifting (1).

Anuj hoping CWG silver will help him get promotion

Arjuna awardee and Olympian Anuj Kumar Chaudhary believes in positive thinking. After winning a silver in 84 kg freestyle wrestling event in the Commonwealth Games on Sunday, now Anuj is eagerly waiting for a promotion in the department.

Talking to The Indian Express, the 28-year-old Uttar Pradesh Police wrestler who has brought laurels to the state and the country on numerous occasions, said, “My department is already very happy with my efforts. Presently, I am posted at Noida as an inspector. My file for promotion as Deputy SP is pending with the UP government since 2006. I think the silver medal today will help me in getting my due promotion and recognition from the government.”

Anuj who hails from Badari village of Muzaffarnagar said that after a medal at the Commonwealth Games, now he will be working hard for the upcoming Asian Games and the 2012 Olympics.

Anuj got a job in the Uttar Pradesh Police in 2000 as sub-inspector through the sports quota. Owing to his performances in the national and international arena he got promoted as inspector in 2003. He was given the Laxman award (the highest state award in sports) in 2001 and the Arjuna award in 2005. Talking about his performances in the international arena— he won a silver in the Commonwealth Games held at Manchester in 2002 and a gold in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in 2003. He bagged a bronze in the Asian Wrestling Championships held in China in 2005 and a gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships the same year.

When contacted secretary Uttar Pradesh Police Sports Control Board and IG Police Arun Kumar said, “The proposal for his promotion is already under consideration. Now we will ensure that he gets promoted at the earliest.”

Arjuna awardee Ranveer Singh who is assistant director sports in UP Police and former captain of the Indian volleyball team said, “Anuj’s promotion is pending with the government due to some technical reasons.

I hope that the technical difficulties are done away with soon and he gets promoted as DSP as per the Government order. Talented players get encouraged with recognition. Anuj has done the state and the country proud on several occasions.”

Commonwealth Games 2010: party time as India beat Pakistan to set up England clash

It was the night when the Commonwealth Games came to life. A sell-out crowd of 20,000 flag-waving fans screaming themselves hoarse as India thumped seven goals past their old hockey adversaries, Pakistan, to clinch a semi-final place against England.

Finally, after six days of half-empty stadiums and general indifference among locals to the sporting events that have turned their city into a military zone, the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium erupted into a giant party yesterday. Jose Brasa, India’s Spanish coach, likened it to being inside the Bernabéu.

If only the rest of the Games could have been like this. How different it all was to the eerily empty streets that had greeted the cyclists for the men’s and women’s road races just a few hours earlier.

Even the omnipresent police and security personnel appeared to be fighting a losing battle as spectators ignored their exhortations to sit down, many choosing to stand and cheer for the entire game.

Among them in the cheap seats was Indian National Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul, who, in an apparent political gesture, eschewed the Games VIP area and chose to sit with paying customers behind one of the goals, heralding a mass outbreak of rubber-necking when the pair were spotted.

This was not a time for class distinction. Indians, facing a must-win clash with Pakistan in their national sport, were in it together.

The match had long been billed as the “Game of the Games” - ever since the last ticket was sold 3½ months ago — but what was not known then was that the cross-border showdown would be a winner-takes-all affair, deciding who would go forward to the semi-finals and who would be leaving with nothing.

With both sides tied on six points before the match but with Pakistan boasting a superior goal difference, the visitors needed only a draw while India required a victory.

India’s lame 5-2 capitulation to world champions Australia just three days earlier had not exactly inspired much confidence going into yesterday’s match, particularly since Pakistan had looked impressive in their previous pool games.

But India were clearly galvanised by the passionate home support.

Astonishingly, they were 4-0 up within 20 minutes as Sandeep Singh lashed home two penalty corners, Shivendra Singh scored a rebound from another and Saravanjit Singh touched home a long-hit pass from Sandeep to make it an all Singh-ing and dancing start for the hosts.

Two goals for Pakistan before half-time quietened the crowd for a while but by the time Danish Mujtaba swooped on a rebound from a penalty corner just after the interval and poked the ball home, the victory celebrations had begun.

A goal for Dharamvir Singh and a second for Shivendra were met with two Pakistan replies, the match ending 7-4.

India now meet England tomorrow for a place in the final after Barry Middleton’s men secured a 2-1 victory over South Africa earlier in the day to finish on top of their pool. Another sell-out crowd will test their mental fortitude.

“The crowd was excellent,” said Brasa. “I think it is incredible to play with this support. The crowd started shouting and supporting the players as soon as they arrived on the pitch and they carried on shouting every time an Indian player got the ball and looked to attack.

“That is very difficult to find in another country. In football we have something similar in Spain with Real Madrid but it is difficult to find something equal.

“When Spain were playing in the final of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 the crowd were supporting us, but it was nothing like this.”

Commonwealth Games 2010: technology and ticketing providing no end of problems

Olympic organisers say they will learn lessons from the serious ticketing and technology problems at the Commonwealth Games that have been so bad the system has teetered on the verge of collapse.

The most basic information needed for athletes, officials and technical delegates to conduct the competitions in New Delhi have ground to a halt.

In addition, the technology surrounding the sale of tickets has been immersed in scandal and incompetence, with spectators told venues are sold out, only to see on television the stands are half empty. Ticket offices often sell tickets but are then unable to print them out.

The ticketing debacle has even extended to fraud. On Sunday police arrested two people, including a volunteer who worked with the organising committee, for selling tickets at double the face value even though they were supposed to be given to schoolchildren for free.

“This has been an eye-opener into how not to do things, and how important it is for the whole system to be integrated from the word go, and tested months ahead of time,” said a London official who has been embedded in the Games staffing.

“The technology has been the biggest disaster and it has only been the goodwill of everyone being patient and trying to work around the issues that any results are being published, it is a nightmare. Technology and tickets, the two big items and they have failed both here, it has been a really valuable lesson for us not to cut any corners with this.”

Behind the scenes the results and information service which provides basic details such as schedules, times, placings, medal tallies and flash quotes from athletes has failed miserably. Commentators and journalists have to rely on scoreboard timings that flash up at a venue, sometimes for just seconds. The alternative is to wait more than four or five hours for such results.

“The main area we are very unhappy with is the Games info system,” Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell said.

Organising committee executives said the problem was the integration of the information at the venues on to the mainframe. Experts have been working on the problem of corrupted files and unworkable slow data speeds since before the opening ceremony, but it has now got to the stage that the information is being emailed around on pdf files.

Swiss Timing was charged with integrating the system at each venue into the main system but with just four days of competition remaining, the system still does not work.

Fennell said integration of the results was always challenging at Games and the contract had to be carefully handled.