XIX Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010

Delhi is hosting the XIX Commonwealth Games between October 3 and October 14, 2010. It will also be the first time the Commonwealth Games will be held in India. Delhi has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.
 
 

Facts In Brief

Host City: Delhi, India

Motto: Come Out and Play
The tagline, ‘Come Out and Play’ is an invitation to everyone involved with the Games to participate in whichever way they can, in the true spirit of sportsmanship. It also calls the people of India, especially Delhi, to come out in support of the Games and play the perfect hosts to the visitors.

Nations Participating: 85 Commonwealth Teams

Events: 260 events in 17 disciplines

Opening Ceremony: 3rd October

Closing Ceremony: 14th October

Main Stadium: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Official Website of 2010 Commonwealth Games

Bidding

The two principal bids for the 2010 Commonwealth Games were from Delhi, India and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. India’s bid, with New Frontiers and New Friendships as the theme, and the Government’s decision to underwrite the total cost of the Games clinched the decision in a voting during the meeting of the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica on November 13, 2003. Delhi outpolled the Canadian city of Hamilton by a margin of 46 votes to 22 to earn the right to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Another important factor that tilted the balance in favor of Delhi was that India announced that if it won the hosting rights then it would provide one hundred thousand US dollars to each participating country along with free air tickets, free boarding lodging and free transport.

Costs

The total budget estimated for hosting the Games is USD 1.6 billion and this amount excludes non-sports-related infrastructure development in the city like airports, roads and other structures. This will likely make the 2010 Commonwealth Games the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever, being larger than the previous games in Melbourne 2006 (approx. USD 1.1 billion).

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the 2010 Commonwealth Games are expected to rake in more money than its previous two editions held in Manchester and Melbourne, close to a staggering of USD 4940 millions.

Competition Venues

The Delhi Games Village is being constructed as a low rise medium development on a 40 acre site in the heart of the capital with a possible capacity for 8,500 athletes and officials.

Existing and new stadiums in Delhi will be used to house the sports during the Games:

The opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, lawn bowls, and weightlifting will take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi, which will have a capacity of 75,000 spectators after renovation for the games.

Archery, cycling, gymnastics, and wrestling will take place at the Indira Gandhi Arena, the largest indoor sports arena in India and the second-largest in Asia, which seats 25,000 people. Located at the Indraprastha Estate in the eastern region of New Delhi, the arena will be connected to other venues via dedicated bus lanes and mass transportation. The arena will be renovated for the Games.

There are 26 new stadiums which will be utilised for the Commonwealth Games. Some older ones will be upgraded and some new are being constructed.

Sports

There are 17 disciplines planned for the Delhi Games: aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, field hockey, gymnastics, lawn balls, netball, rugby sevens, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

Kabaddi will also be a demonstration sport at the 2010 Games.

Participating Nations

There are currently 72 Commonwealth nations or territories planning to send teams at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. As Fiji is suspended from the Commonwealth, it has been banned from participating in the Games. Rwanda will field a team for the games since becoming a Commonwealth member in 2009.

Commonwealth Games – Host City Delhi

Delhi or Dilli (in Hindi) or the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis (only after Mumbai) by population in India. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with about 14 million inhabitants.

Delhi is political and cultural center of India. Located on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BCE. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.

After the British East India Company had gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries, Calcutta became the capital both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built to the south of the old city during the 1920s.

When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. New Delhi is one of the nine districts of Delhi. The total area of the city is 42.7 km.

The foundation of the city was laid on December 15, 1911, and was planned by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, leading 20th century British architects. Inaugurated on February 13, 1931 by Viceroy, Lord Irwin, the city is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and is home to numerous national institutions and landmarks.

Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English are the main languages of Delhi. It has a literacy rate of 81.82% It has a very diverse culture because people from all over India are settled here.

Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010
See You in Delhi (Official Video)