The 2010 Commonwealth Games is the 19th Commonwealth Games. It is the ninth to be held under that name as previously it was known as the British Empire Games. The Games were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. Delhi is the capital city of India. Commonwealth Games were conducted first time in India and the second time in Asia. They were held in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. India won the bid for the 2010 Commonwealth Games by a margin of 46 votes to 22 in the ballot which was held in November 2003 at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The bid was from Delhi, India and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. India’s bid motto was ‘New Frontiers and Friendships’.

The official mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is a humanized tiger Shera which means tiger. The logo for the games was designed by Idiom Design and Consulting. The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games is “Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto” which was composed and performed by the Indian musician A. R. Rahman (Academy Awards and Oscar winner for “Slum dog Millionaire”). 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.

The Queen’s Baton Relay for the 19th Commonwealth Games began on 29 October 2009 from Buckingham Palace. It contained Queen Elizabeth II’s message to the athletes. The baton visited 54 nations of the Commonwealth and arrived at the 2010 Games opening ceremony on 3 October 2010 after covering the distance of 170,000km. The baton was designed by a graduate of the National Institute of Design, Michael Foley. It is twisted into a helix shape. 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.

It is 26.1 inches high, 1.3 inches wide at the base, and 3.4 inches wide at the top. It weighs 1,900 grams. The baton has several technological features including The ability to capture images and sound, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which will change into the colors of a country’s flag, Global positioning system (GPS) so the baton’s location can be tracked

The widely-praised opening ceremony took place on 3 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium which is the main stadium of the event in New Delhi. It was viewed by a global audience of around three billion. Almost 65,000 people gathered to view the opening ceremony. It began at 7:00 PM IST and ended at 11:00 PM IST. Prince Charles as Head of the Commonwealth) and President of India Pratibha Patil officially declared the Games open. The ceremony beautifully portrayed the richness and prosperity of the Indian culture. More than 6000 performers showcased 5000 years of India’s history. There are 17 sports at the 2010 Commonwealth Games which include- Aquatics, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Balls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weight Lifting, and Wrestling. Tennis will be on the program for the first time.

The “Aerostat”, nearly costing US$9 million white helium-filled balloon, rose 25m above the ground when the show began. The balloon housed cameras, laser projectors and mirrors providing a 360-degree screening experience. Nearly 3000 fireworks danced around the stadium and lit up Delhi. Athletes from the 71 competing nations paraded around the stadium. India spent approximately US$34 million on the ceremony.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever with the total expenditure of 115 billion which includes infrastructure redevelopment in the city such as airports, city beautification, transportation, and roads.

In the preparation of the games, the Delhi government implemented a program to teach English and essential talent to cab drivers, security workers, waiters, porters, and service staff for the tourists. The government also undertook the power-production initiative to increase power production to 7,000 MW from the current 4,500 MW to avoid power cuts. Over 8,000 officials and athletes were offered free accommodation at the Games Village, as well as free transport and other benefits, such as a trip to the Taj Mahal and a reserved lane for participants on selected highways.

With 74 gold medals, Australia stood heads and shoulders above any other nation, while India was second with 38 and England with 37 gold medals.

MEDAL TALLY

The 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be held in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. This was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation on 9 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Games will run over 11 days from 24 July to 3 August 2014.