Thursday, October 28, 2010

WG probe: I-T conducts nationwide raids at over 50 locations

NEW DELHI: Over 300 personnel of Income Tax Department today swooped down on over 50 premises of companies across the country to probe alleged financial irregularities in Commonwealth Games contracts.

Official sources said the simultaneous raids in various cities, which began early morning, are centred on four main contractors roped in by the CWG Organising Committee for landscaping and beautification works of the venues among others.

The sources said over 50 premises spread across Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Kolkata and National Capital Region (NCR) were the focus of the raiding teams and a large number of documents including those pertaining to contracts and sub-contracts awarded in connection with the Games have been seized.

They said the contractors, who are under the scanner of the I-T Department, were involved in landscaping, beautification of venues, changing of street lamps, laying field tracks and also in the business of sports equipment and gear.

The sources said the tax return details of previous years filed by these firms were also being examined by the department.

The action comes at a time when various other government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Central Vigilance Commission and also the Prime Minister- appointed Special Committee are looking into various aspects of the alleged financial irregularities.

The sources said the I-T probe will specifically look into the contracts awarded by the Games Organising Committee (OC) and the role of its officials and contractors besides charges of bribing.

The I-T department officials have seized documents to detect possible evasion of taxes through over-invoicing and fudging of accounts.

The department had on October 19 carried out similar searches on four major consortia, including those related to BJP member Sudhanshu Mittal, which had bagged contracts worth Rs 700 crore. Mittal is considered to be a close associate of former BJP President Rajnath Singh and late party leader Pramod Mahajan.


Read more: CWG probe: I-T conducts nationwide raids at over 50 locations - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/CWG-probe-I-T-conducts-nationwide-raids-at-over-50-locations/articleshow/6827787.cms#ixzz13eyQvq1Q

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Oz mission pays damage for Village vandalism

NEW DELHI: The Australian mission at Commonwealth Games has paid Rs 10,000 as damages for the vandalism of some members of its squad who threw down a washing machine from the seventh floor of a Games Village apartment.

The alcohol-fuelled vandalism, first reported by TOI, could have taken a fatal turn if the machine had struck someone and led to condemnation of the behaviour of Aussie athletes concerned though no formal complaint was lodged. The amount paid covers the cost of the washing machine. No fine was imposed.

Australian squad were involved in at least two other incidents of overly boisterous behaviour in the dining area and on one occasion were led away by their managers.

The incidents were brushed aside as CWG organisers decided not to lodge a complaint while Aussie officials denied the incident (of the washing machine being thrown) had anything to do with the Test side losing to India in cricket.


Read more: Oz mission pays damage for Village vandalism - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/athletics/Oz-mission-pays-damages-for-Commonwealth-Games-Village-vandalism/articleshow/6818283.cms#ixzz13WtlFouJ

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Haryana to honour all CWG participants

STAFF WRITER 19:26 HRS IST

Chandigarh, Oct 21 (PTI) Haryana Government today decided to boost the morale of the state atheltes who didn't finish in the medal bracket of the Commonwealth Games by announcing a cash prize of Rs two lakhs for all the participants.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the participants who failed to get any medal will be given Rs two lakh each, a official release said.

The state has already announced cash awards of Rs 15 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs five lakh to each winner of Gold, Silver and bronze medals respectively.

As many as 54 sportspersons of Haryana had taken part in the Commonwealth Games and the players of the State bagged 32 medals including 17 Gold medals, seven Silver medals and eight Bronze medals.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

CBI verifying 20 complaints of CWG corruption

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has stepped in the Commonwealth Games graft probe, and is verifying 20 complaints of corruption.

They have taken over files regarding the Indian leg of the Queen's Baton Relay.

The CBI is also working in close coordination with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).


Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/cbi-verifying-20-complaints-of-cwg-corruption-60942?cp

Saturday, October 16, 2010

30 CWG medalists from Haryana to get Maruti cars

STAFF WRITER 17:48 HRS IST

Chandigarh, Oct 16 (PTI) Thirty medalists of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) from Haryana and two others - Saina Nehwal and Sushil Kumar - having connection with the state would get Maruti cars.

The 15 gold medalist from Haryana and Saina Nehwal and Sushil Kumar would also be given Maruti SX4 luxury cars of Maruti located in Gurgaon, an official spokesman said here today.

Seven silver medalist players would be given Maruti Dzire and eight bronze medalists from the State of Haryana would be given Wagon R cars.

The keys of the cars would be handed over to the players by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at a state level function being organized on Haryana Day, November 1 at Sonepat.

Keeping in view Maruti Udyog's long association with Haryana, the Chief Minister took up the matter with MUL Management which agreed to his proposal.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Sushil Kumar ruled out of Asian Games

NEW DELHI: Indian wrestling's team management is not willing to take any chances and has decided to rest world champion Sushil Kumar for the Asian Games to give him time to recover from his shoulder and neck injuries.

Sushil confirmed he had fought with some discomfort during the World Championship last month and the Commonwealth Games here.

"The injury has been troubling me for the last six months," said Sushil, who has been rested for the November 12-27 event. "The Wrestling Federation (WFI) and my coaches asked me to take rest because if the injury flares up it will affect my preparation for the London Olympics in 2012," added Sushil, who had his injured right shoulder taped during the gold-medal winning performance at the CWG.

Pardeep Kumar, who is the India No. 2 in 66kg category, will replace Sushil in Guangzhou.

National coach Jagmender Singh told TOI that the injury will heal in 15 to 20 days. However, it has been learnt that Sushil had also complained about his fingers getting numb during training, which could be an indication that the neck pain may be because of an injury to the spine (wear and tear of the intervertebral disc). Such an injury could be career-threatening.

Indian team physio Arvinder Pal Singh insisted Sushil's injury is muscular and has nothing to with the spine. "It is due to over-exertion. We had done tests including MRI scans and Sushil has a muscular strain on the neck and shoulders," he said.

"Sushil took part in three back-to-back tournaments - the Asian championships, World championships and CWG. It is bound to take a toll," said Arvinder. "He had slight pain in the right shoulder during the build-up to the World Championship and after Moscow we treated him and prepared him for the CWG as it was important for him to compete at home.

"But we don't want to take chances any more. Sushil had pain during the bouts at the CWG and he also complained about knee pain. So we decided to give him rest and let him recover fully from the small niggles and prevent it from becoming big," the physio added. "We don't want to repeat the mistake we did with Yogeshwar (Dutt)." Yogeshwar suffered a career-threatening knee injury one and a half years back which got aggravated after he trained and competed with it.

TOI

Commonwealth Games a hit, now punish graft: TOI poll

The Commonwealth Games were a resounding success for India, but the allegations of corruption that preceded the event must be thoroughly investigated. That's the message coming out loud and clear from metropolitan India.

An opinion poll in India's four biggest metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai – exclusively for TOI has found 85% of those surveyed felt the Games were a hit. The same proportion said they have enhanced India's reputation globally.

This is a sea change from a poll we had conducted in September, where close to 50% had said India's reputation had taken a beating due to the stories of sleaze emerging almost daily.

That the change is thanks mainly to the athletes, and not the organizers, is clear from the fact that 86% of respondents to the latest poll say that allegations of corruption must be investigated. In other words, the bungling has neither been forgotten nor forgiven.

88% feel India has arrived as a sporting nation

The rich medal haul and India's finishing second to Australia in the tally of gold medals has clearly captured the imagination of many. As a result, 88% expressed the view that India had arrived as a sporting nation — an estimate that sport buffs might not yet share.

The success of the Games also seems to have whetted the appetite for more such mega sporting events. When asked whether India should now put in a bid for the Olympic Games in 2020, 82% said it should.

A final question was put exclusively to respondents in Delhi and pertained to what they considered the biggest failure of the organizers. The most common response — voiced by 33% of those polled — was poor infrastructure.

The authorities might point to the kudos received from several foreign delegations on this count, but negative perception at home appears to have been driven by events like the collapse of the foot overbridge near the main venue and the state of the Village when it was first handed over to some of the delegations.

The second most common response, from 30% of the respondents, was traffic chaos due to excessive security. Lack of tickets, poor facilities and a poorly run website also figured on the list of complaints, but lower on the scale. The survey was conducted by Synovate, a global market research agency, polled a total of 375 adults between the ages of 18 and 40 years, 150 of them in the host city, Delhi.

Read more: Commonwealth Games a hit, now punish graft: TOI poll - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Commonwealth-Games-a-hit-now-punish-graft-TOI-poll/articleshow/6756382.cms#ixzz12UWKLz6r

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Saina powers India to No. 2 spot, helps exceed target of 100 CWG medals

NEW DELHI: On October 3, TOI ran a front-page headline - ' India Takes Aim: 100 Medals and Finish At No. 2'. By the time Saina Nehwal took the court for the women's singles final, the first target had already been achieved but the second - No. 2 spot in the overall tally - was still very much up for grabs.

England and India were tied at 37 golds each, but England had many more medals, so it was a must-win match for Saina - and for a nation desperate for some cheer after a demoralizing 0-8 drubbing in the men's hockey final.

Going by track record, it should have been a no-contest. Saina, world no. 3, had an unbeaten 4-0 record against her opponent, Malaysia's Wong Mew Choo. But Wong, world No. 17, had run Saina close in the team final just a few days ago. Could she do an encore?

She almost went one better in a 74-minute thriller that Saina would later describe as the toughest match of her career. Eventually, Saina won a nerve-wracking battle 19-21, 23-21, 21-13 after facing a match point at 20-21 in the second game. Never before has the country been united by a badminton match. Nor has India come so close to finding such a loved sporting icon after Sachin Tendulkar.

Saina's triumph ensured the Games would end on a high note for India. It was, perhaps only fitting, given the number of heroes who thrilled Indian fans in the past few days.

Earlier in the day, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had won the women's doubles, again a first for India. The record haul was, of course, set up by the shooters, with Gagan Narang bagging four golds. The wrestlers, led by world champ Sushil Kumar, too obliged adoring fans. But golds also came from some delightfully unexpected quarters.

There was teenager Deepika Kumari, who came up with a golden double in the women's recurve archery event. India hadn't won a gold in either track or field since 1958. It got one in each, with Krishna Poonia leading a clean sweep of the women's discus throw, and the women's 4x400m relay squad beating the more fancied Nigeria and England.

Indeed, the relay win, greeted by full-throated acclaim from a packed JN Stadium, moved former athletics great and head of the London 2012 Olympics OC Sebestian Coe to declare, "It may just have changed the direction of track and field not only in India, but in Asia. Hundreds of millions of people tonight know India can perform at the top level." And then there was Ashish Kumar, who didn't win a gold but made history by winning India's first-ever CWG medals in gymnastics - a silver and bronze.

So does Delhi 2010 herald the arrival of India as a sporting nation? It may be premature to say so. The fact is, the competition wasn't always world-class.

The Asian Games that follow shortly will give us a more accurate assessment of where we stand. But at least while the Games lasted, Indians tuned in to many sports other than cricket. The Saina-Wong epic was followed as enthusiastically on TV as any T20 thriller. In that - and the youngsters who will be inspired to come up with similar feats - lies hope for the future.

Can India beat its 57 medals record at Asiad?

Ask the Indian medal winners at the Commonwealth Games and they'll tell you it's just a stepping stone for the November Asian Games to be held in Guangzou ( China). The Delhi show will surely spur them towards more challenging goals with India looking to improve upon the 57 medals it won in 1982, which remain its best Asiad showing. World-beaters like Sushil Kumar, Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra, MC Mary Kom and Vijender Singh hadn't really emerged then. Guanzhou could add to India's growth as a sporting nation.

TOI

Trecia Smith's choice as best surprises many

NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell shocked the athletes at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium when he announced Jamaican triple jumper Trecia Smith as the best athlete of the Games ignoring the claims of swimmers Emily Seebohm (8 medals), Alicia Coutts (5 gold) and shooter Gagan Narang (4 gold).

"It was a real surprise when he announced Trecia's name as the best athlete of the Games and declared her the winner of the David Dixon award.

"Nobody knows how they decide it. It is a mystery. The only coincidence was that Fennell is from Jamaica and the award went to a Jamaican," a top Australian journalist told TOI.

According to the CGF the award is decided on the athlete's outstanding performance, fairplay and also the contribution to the team. The award was introduced in 2002 in the memory of David Dixon, former secretary of the CGF.

According to the CGF website, athletes are nominated by their Commonwealth Games Association at the end of the final day of competition and the winner is selected by a panel comprising the CGF president and representatives from each of the six Commonwealth regions.

The choice for the best athlete came as a surprise for many. Tracia Smith only had one gold, which she retained after winning it for the first time in Melbourne.

TOI

Commonwealth Games: Now, over to Glasgow

NEW DELHI: As the Commonwealth Games flag was lowered on Thursday and passed on to the next hosts, Glasgow, the Scots put on a show that gave a glimpse of their homeland. It was all brought to life during the closing ceremony by 352 Scots drawn from the many walks of life and from the length and breadth of the country. From its villages in the Outer Herbides, from the towns in the Borders and from the communities that form the city of Glasgow.

After the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Bob Winter, received the flag and welcomed all to his city in 2014 came a short film that showed the lochs, hills and glens of Scotland. It also portrayed Glasgow's iconic landmarks - including Whitlee Windfarm, Nelson's Monument, River Clyde and the Clyde Arc Bridge.

Merging with the end of the film, a lone piper in a vibrant modern kilt appeared at the centre of the stadium and began to play and the music intensified with each step. The Highland Charge followed with the 352 performers, dressed in tartan kilts, charging towards the piper. The performers then mesmerised the capacity crowd as huge red tartan cloths unfurled creating a labyrinth. A second piper appeared diagonally opposite the original one and the tartans turned into a green maze and created dynamic sequences, including a depiction of the Scottish flag.

Giant inflated structures resembling the Arc Bridge and the eight arches came together to form the armadillo-shaped Clyde Auditorium, which sits on the banks of River Clyde. The Armadillo, managed by 80 people, then spun on is axis to again release the cast members who formed a Celtic knot, ancient decorative symbols. The armadillo then dispersed to form the Loch Ness monster which left wagging its tail.

Fact box

* 1.8 km of tartan fabric were used to create the costumes
* 30.5m was the length of the inflatable armadillo
* Jonathan Graham and Craig Muirhead, the two hero pipers, were selected after a rigorous audition process that also involved the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association

TOI

'Bravo India' say Australian, New Zealand media

SYDNEY: India defied a disastrous start to produce a safe and successful Commonwealth Games which were running smoothly by the final stages, Australian and New Zealand media said on Friday.

"Bravo India" declared an editorial in Sydney tabloid the Daily Telegraph which described the New Delhi Games as a "glorious competition".

"This isn't down to mere good fortune. Games officials have worked hard throughout to ensure a Games to remember, and for all the right reasons," it said, as it praised the South Asian giant's best ever gold medal haul.

New Delhi organisers suffered a barrage of bad publicity in the lead-up to the October 3-14 competition, with complaints about the unfinished and unhygienic athletes' village, the risk of dengue fever and venue safety fears.

Days ahead of the event, the Australian government had warned of a "high risk of terrorism" during the Games, while athletes were also put off by the risk of contracting dengue fever.

But while the Games struggled against construction delays, empty stadiums and ticketing chaos, its security lockdown was effective, said The Australian.

"That India, a giant chaotic democracy located in one of the world's most unstable regions, managed to avert a major terror attack in the face of serious threats from regional militants is a significant mark of success," it said.

And while there had been incompetence from organisers, the locals had picked up the pieces and shown that "even the biggest mess can be cleaned up", The Sydney Morning Herald said.

"They've pulled it off admirably and deserve better than the carping, nit-picking and borderline racism that has masqueraded as informed coverage of the Games," wrote journalist Peter Hanlon.

The New Zealand Press Association said organisation gradually improved as the Games progressed, to the point where everything was running like clockwork just before the closing ceremony.

"For a Games where all the (Western media) talk going in was about cancellation, or a swift transfer to Melbourne, and where athletes bailed out pre-Games for fears over their safety and hygiene, Delhi far exceeded expectations," it said.

"(By the closing ceremony) Games buses were running on time, crowds at many venues were sizeable, as security guards relented on their frisking frenzy.

"Delhi did perform, and it did deliver, albeit in a quirky, colourful, spasmodic, random and often frustrating fashion."

However, it poured cold water on Delhi's ambitions to host the 2020 Olympics, concluding: "Those Games, India is not ready for."

TOI

CWG: Glasgow steals the show at closing gala

NEW DELHI: After the spellbinding opening ceremony and a stirring surge in the medals tally, the mood in the Capital was expectedly upbeat: tonight's-gonna-be-a-good-night was on every lip, apart from the good old Delhi question: Do you have a pass?

By late evening, it looked like everybody indeed had one: all roads led to the statuesque Nehru Stadium, bang in the heart of the city. This time, traffic moved smoothly and metro trains kept their tryst with timings.

Sadly, the closing ceremony itself did not keep its date with history, or turn out to be another out-of-this-world experience. Sure, it wasn't expected to be as elaborate or extravagant as the opening ceremony; but it was barely pleasing to the eye or soothing to the soul. It was slowed down by ceremonies and formalities and, worse, spiked by long-drawn speeches. The segments too, despite their splendour and magnitude, failed to enthral; many were left with an empty feeling, even if they didn't feel let down.

One final blast in the end, though, uplifted by a stunning laser display and an array of singers, musicians and dancers from Bollywood somewhat made up for the lack of lustre. But it paled in front of the show compiled by Glasgow, hosts of the next Games in 2014.

In less than 30 minutes, they left an impression with their energy, vibrancy and giant props that all but stole the day. Typically, the aerostat, which was the centre of attraction on the opening day, was a distant spectator on Thursday. It had taken its position in the sky well before the show began and it watched the spectacle below, impassively flashing images from the Games gone by.

Almost everyone was there, though, right from Manmohan Singh to Sonia Gandhi, to all the ministers at their command: it was time to bask in the afterglow of a show-that-didn't-go-wrong, you see. Suresh Kalmadi, the man of the moment - however, ironic that may sound - made it a point to thank everybody who could make a difference, rather than those who had already made a difference.

He even thanked Lalit Bhanot; allowing the crowds to break out into derisive laughter one last time.

Well, the Games are over and at least a few people should be given credit: after all, India not only wowed the world with its opening ceremony but also managed to wade through the 12 days without any major mishap. More importantly, it climbed all the way to the Number 2 position on the medals chart, clinching 38 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze.

Terrific Thursday, though, didn't start on a promising note: the hockey team, after dazzling Australia with its stick-work and electric forays, capitulated to a numbing 0-8 defeat; but, by afternoon, the spirits were up again as Saina Nehwal staged a remarkable recovery, staving off even a match point, to win the badminton woman's gold.

Many skeptics, including acerbic sportspersons and writers from England and Australia, went away as converts.

The Sanias and Bindras are not the only heroes anymore, let alone the Sachins and Dravids; India now has a Phogat (two actually, or is it five?), a Poonia and a Narang too. Archers, wrestlers, boxers and runners have proved that we can be a sporting nation, if our boys and girls are given the right platform, if not the right encouragement and incentive.

The people have also demonstrated that they will come forward and support any sport, from anywhere, as long as they are in the mould of winners. Let us not look at reality though, which is just a month away; let us not spoil the party by talking about crouching tigers and hidden dragons and Asian Games already.

If the opening ceremony was all about unity in diversity, the closing ceremony was all about power. The power in India's culture, in its armed forces, in its future and in its ability to innovate and entertain too.

TOI

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

India shining as Commonwealth Games set for gala closing

NEW DELHI: As the curtains come down on Thursday, the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi will be remembered as much for India's ability to pull off a world class mega event as about sporting glory - controversies notwithstanding.

They will leave behind a city with spanking new infrastructure that played host to 6,700 competitors from 71 nations and territories who were given top class security -- and glimpses of the country's rich cultural heritage and hospitality.

The closing ceremony Thursday promises to be a spectacular and youthful song and dance celebration, with a laser show as its highlight, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which is where the grand opening ceremony was held Oct 3.

Involving 7,000 performers, the theme of the closing function will showcase martial arts and include segments like 'Tribute to the Motherland' and 'Music of Universal Love'. The Rs.400 million ($9 million) aerostat - the world's largest helium balloon - that was the star attraction at the opening ceremony - will again be put to use.

ET

India need to tighten defence in final against Australia

NEW DELHI: Riding the wave is a tricky business as India will doubtless discover when they take on world champions Australia in the men's hockey final of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.

India's smashing wins against Pakistan (7-4) and England (on penalties) point to a team that is on a high and riding a wave of popular support.

However, it will take a greater effort from India in the final against a team that cruelly exposed the hosts in the league by winning 5-2 last week.

"We should guard against repeating our mistakes in the final," said India skipper Rajpal Singh in an obvious reference to the two blunders at the start that helped Australia go up 2-0 by the 11th minute.

When ahead, the Aussies are a difficult and different proposition as India found to their grief a week ago and this will be on their minds on the morrow.

"It is not so much about fitness as the game you play. The final is to be played at 11.30 in the morning and we have had all our games around that time while India's matches have been in the evenings. This could be an advantage for us," said Aussie team coach Ric Charlesworth.

India showed great character in the semifinal against England when they came back from a 1-3 deficit to equalise and then clinch the tie-breaker on goalkeeper Bharat Chhetri's save, and it will have to be more of the same against Australia.

India's major concern is the defence where Dhananjay Mahadik is a step too slow, wing-half Prabodh Tirkey is nursing a problematic back and so also penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh who suffered a near life-threatening injury in 2006 in a freak shooting incident.

These shortcomings could get magnified in a tight match. "You got to put away as many chances as you can to win a match," said Charlesworth. The Indians would do well to bear this in mind.

One of India's best options against Australia would be to police Jamie Dwyer, who has been a livewire in the midfield with his roving duties besides lending depth to the Australian frontline where the likes of Des Abbott, Glenn Turner and Simon Orchard have been in top form.

Adding another dimension to the Aussie line-up is the penalty corner specialist Luke Doerner who currently tops the goal-scorers' list with six conversions.

Ranged against them are the skillful Indian forwards like youngsters Sarvanjit Singh and Dharamvir Singh, and the experienced trio of Tushar Khandkar and Shivendra Singh and skipper Rajpal Singh, who on their day can cut through any defence.

Thus, all the ingredients that make for a potentially exciting final are in the pot, and whatever the outcome, one can expect top quality hockey that the faithful fans, braving the mid-day heat, deserve to watch.

TOI

Narang happy with India's medal count

NEW DELHI: Instead of harping on the occasional misses, ace marksman Gagan Narang preferred to look at the positives after the shooting event of the Commonwealth Games came to an end on Wednesday, with India bagging a whopping 30 medals, including 14 gold.

Apart from their impressive gold haul, India has also grabbed 11 silver and five bronze medals, and Narang seemed more than satisfied with the show, including his own. The number of yellow metals, though, is less than what it was four years ago in Melbourne.

"I am very happy with my performance, four gold medals with four new Games record is good. I did struggle a bit with prone position but I think we should look at the positives," said the rifle ace, who had clinched the yellow metal in 10-metre air rifle (both singles and pairs) and 50-metre 3 positions rifle (singles and pairs).

After a bright start to his campaign, Narang somewhat lost the momentum and failed to a win a medal in his last two events -- singles and pairs 50-metre rifle prone event -- though he cannot be blamed for missing out on a medal in the pairs event.

Narang scored an impressive 593 in the final of the pairs event on Tuesday, but his partner Hariom Singh, down with flu, shot badly at crucial junctures.

The unassuming Hyderabadi, however, refused to blame his partner for blunders that probably cost him his fifth medal.

"The person is doing his best. It's a team effort and you can't blame just one person for not doing well. We can take a lot of lessons from the losses," Narang said.

Narang's failure to qualify for the final came as a shock to many, but rifle coach Stanislav Lapidus defended the Hyderabadi saying that he was shooting with a gun which did not have good barrel and that others were using much better weapon.

"I am happy with the overall performance but I was expecting more from Gagan. But don't blame him, you can blame his gun," Lapidus said.

The good news, though, was that Narang is getting a new rifle before the World Cup finals scheduled to be held later this month.

Asked whether Narang would use the new gun in the World Cup and the upcoming Guangzhou Asian Games in November, national coach Sunny Thomas said, "The World Cup is too close but he can use it provided he gets the ammunition."

Asked if he was satisfied with the performance of shotgun shooters, who have failed to win a single gold in the competition despite having world number two, Ronjan Sodhi, in the team, Thomas said, "Shotgun is a very strong field with team like Australia in fray.

"In CWG especially, it's tough in shotgun, but Asian Games will be much easier for them compared to rifle shooters."

TOI

CWG: Govt will dole out highest cash kitty ever

NEW DELHI: As India surpassed their Manchester Games haul of 30 gold medals on Tuesday, the government stepped into the picture, promising to dole out the highest reward money ever for winners. Gold medallists will earn Rs 20 lakh each, silver Rs 10 lakh and bronze medallists Rs 6 lakh for their efforts.

Tuesday's count of 32 gold, 25 silver and 32 bronze, a total of 89 medals, means the government will be giving away rewards to the tune of approximately Rs 11 crore as of now. This is the highest ever, surpassing the previous high of Rs 9.22 crore given away after the 2002 Commonwealth Games. After the Melbourne Games in 2006, the government had announced rewards totalling Rs 3.76 crore.

Incidentally, in case of team or pairs events, gold medallists don't always get Rs 20 lakh each. In such cases, each participant gets a quantum of amount calculated according to specific formulae. For eg, in a pairs event comprising two persons, reward money for gold is hiked to Rs 30 lakh, with each participant getting Rs 15 lakh. In team events comprising more than two participants, the quantum of amount is hiked accordingly to ensure that each gold medallist gets at least Rs 10 lakh.

Sports ministry officials are glad that athletes are making the country proud with their performances. "We are happy with our performance as the projected tally was of 96 medals. We will have to wait and see whether we will surpass that mark," Rahul Bhatnagar, joint secretary in the ministry, told TOI.

Last month, sports minister MS Gill had doubled cash awards for gold medallists in the CWG and Asian Games. Bhatnagar, who is in charge of the international sports division that handled the preparations for the Delhi Games, said the government tried to do everything for the preparation of the athletes.

Gold Won: 32/Gold: 20 lac Total: 6.4 Cr
Silver Won: 25/Silver: 10 lac Total: 2.5 Cr
Bronze Won: 32/Bronze: 6 lac Total: 1.92 Cr

TOI

Indian athlete Rani Yadav fails dope test at Commonwealth Games

NEW DELHI: Indian race walker Rani Yadav has tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone, becoming the third person at the Commonwealth Games to be caught doping.

The Commonwealth Games Federation says Yadav, who was sixth in the women's 20-kilometer walk on Saturday, has been provisionally suspended from the event.

Yadav could be banned for two years if found guilty. Over the previous two days, two Nigerian runners were found to be positive for the banned stimulant Methylhexaneamine, with Osayomi Oludamola later stripped of her gold medal in the women's 100-meter race. Hurdler Samuel Okon, who did not win a medal, also tested positive.

Commonwealth Games Federation President Mike Fennell said more than 1,300 doping samples had been collected so far at the games.

"Everyone would concede that to have three doping cases of those 1,300 tests is not a bad record," Fennell said. "And two of those have been concluded for substances that are considered by many to be not in the serious area of doping activity, which is stimulants. This new case has not been heard and I would not want to make any comments on that."

The World Anti-Doping Agency recently loosened the classification of Methylhexaneamine for next year to the "specified stimulant" list, which covers drugs that are more susceptible to inadvertent use and can carry reduced penalties. Sanctions for use of the drug can be reduced if athletes can prove they did not intend to enhance performance. Penalties can range from a warning to a two-year ban.

WADA said Methylhexaneamine was sold as a medicine until the early 1970s and has now reappeared in some nutritional supplements and cooking oils.

Nandrolone, however, is a steroid used to enhance performance. The Commonwealth Games seem to have improved their anti-doping efforts after being criticized by WADA following the games in Melbourne four years ago.

India has excelled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at this year's games, and on Tuesday night the country won only its second Commonwealth Games gold medal ever on the track when the women's 4x400 relay sprinted to victory.

Indians also recorded a sweep of the medals in the women's discus on Monday.

"It's unfortunate," organizing committee secretary-general Lalit Bhanot said of the positive result before adding that India's national anti-doping agency is "very serious about this."

"It sends a message that if people are going to use drugs, they will get caught," Bhanot said.

The CGF said all medal winners have or will be tested at the games, as well as other athletes at random.

TOI

CWG: Sharath-Subhajit win 33rd gold medal for India

NEW DELHI: The Indian duo of Sharath Kamal and Subhajit Saha came from behind to win the gold medal against Singapore's pair of Gao and Yang in the men's doubles table tennis event on Wednesday.

The match went down to the wire but the Indian top seeds pair kept their cool in the deciding fifth game to win the men's doubles title 3-2 in their favour.

Sharath and Saha had a bad start as they lost their first game 9-11 but then bounced back strongly to win the second and third games 12-10 and 11-4 respectively.

Sharath and Saha lived up to their top billing and won the gold 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 5-11, 11-8 in thrilling five games final.

TOI

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Aussie boycott threat wins closing ceremony change

SYDNEY: Australia have won a change to Commonwealth Games closing ceremony arrangements after threatening a boycott over poor conditions at the troubled event's opening, reports said on Wednesday.

Chef de mission Steve Moneghetti said the team took a tough line after athletes were made to wait in a 40-degree Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) "Tunnel of Hell" for an hour before parading through the New Delhi stadium on October 3.

Moneghetti told The Australian newspaper the country's Games association chief, Perry Crosswhite, made the boycott threat during talks with Indian officials.

"It was Perry that was threatening. He's taller than me so he's a good threatener," Moneghetti said. "We were representing Australia's view but it was a group decision.

"We were at the forefront of that process but every country was aware of the issues and supported us."

Public broadcaster ABC said Indian officials had pledged not to leave athletes waiting in depths of the stadium after talks with Australia.

"We raised some issues about Australia participating in the closing ceremony and if they weren't addressed, then that wasn't going to occur," Moneghetti was quoted as saying by the ABC.

"That's been resolved to some degree and at this point in time Australia will be participating in the closing ceremony.

"Rather than entering into, what did I call it, the tunnel of hell or the tunnel of horror, we are now going straight out," Moneghetti added.

Moneghetti, who had avoided criticising chaotic preparations for the Games, was incensed at athletes being treated "like cattle" at the opening ceremony, forcing an apology from head organiser Suresh Kalmadi.

"It was over 40 degrees without a doubt. We were treated like cattle. It was disgraceful," Moneghetti said at the time.

Australia have a large team of about 380 athletes in Delhi and are the runaway medals table leaders with 68 golds heading into the final two days before Thursday's closing ceremony.

Meanwhile, a New Zealand Olympic Committee spokeswoman said the team had no intention of boycotting the closing ceremony and believed the opening ceremony had gone smoothly.

TOI

Record gold haul, hockey final spot

NEW DELHI: On a day of goosebump-raising performances by the men's hockey team and the women relay runners, India on Tuesday registered its best gold medal haul in the Commonwealth Games. With 32 golds in its kitty, and a few more likely on Wednesday, many former greats are calling Delhi 2010 the beginning of India's rise in marquee sports like athletics.

That India would overhaul its gold haul of 30 at Manchester 2002 was predicted by TOI on October 9, but the quality of the performances has come as a pleasant surprise. At the Dhyan Chand Stadium, India produced rousing hockey to wipe off a two-goal deficit and beat world no. 4 England, winning 5-4 in penalties after the game was locked 3-3 in extra time. It's the first time it'll win a hockey medal in CWG since the sport was introduced in 1998. Top seed Saina Nehwal too entered the badminton women's singles final.

India's total so far: 32 (G) – 25 (S) – 32 (B) = 89

TOI

Indian challenge ends in squash events

NEW DELHI: It was curtains for India in the team squash events of the Commonwealth Games after fourth seeded pair of national champions Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa went down fighting to the Malaysians duo of Nicol David and Beng Hee Ong in the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles category on Tuesday.

The Indian pair gave a glimpse of their fighting abilities before going down against the third seed Malaysian pair 5-11 11-7 7-11 in almost an hour contest at the Siri Fort Sports Complex.

The capacity crowd present at the all-glass court arena cheered relentlessly for the Indian pair, but that did not prove sufficient to raise the confidence of Ghosal and Chinappa.

The pair had claimed a place in the last eight of the Mixed event after a final qualifying round win over Scottish pair Frania Gillen-Buchert and Alan Clyne and a bye in the prequarters on Monday.

David, women's singles Commonwealth gold medallist, and Beng Hee had suffered the surprise early pool defeat against English pair of Sarah Kippax and Adrian Grant before bouncing back in the contest to reach the last eight stage.

"Both of us played well today but that was not enough to secure a win. Team events are altogether a different ball game. There were few things where we could have done better but we fell short of expectations today," said a disappointed Ghosal.

"There were some talks that Joshna did not play well today and committed few errors but she was not at all weak with her game. It's not that if I had played with Dipika (Ghosal's original partner in the mixed doubles), results would have been different. One need to understand Joshna's strength are different from that of Dipika.

"I don't want to use Dipika's excuse for losing the game. We played well but it was not our day," added the 24-year-old from Kolkata.

Malaysia's David said, "It's always tough to play against these guys. They are good and I had to pick my game up at several junctures. As part of the strategy, the Indians were attacking me and we were attacking Joshna.

"Joshna made few errors and we got few lucky points. Ghosal was great with his speed and angular shots. Overall it was a tough game," admitted David.

In the first game, the Malaysian pair was severly tested by the Indian duo, bidding to win country's first squash medal.

TOI

Nigerian hurdler Okon fails drugs test

NEW DELHI: Nigerian Commonwealth Games 110m hurdler Samuel Okon has failed a drugs test, which was announced on Tuesday, becoming the second athlete from the African nation to return a positive test.

Okon, who finished sixth in the 110m hurdles final, tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexanamine, said Mike Fennell, the Commonwealth Games Federation president.

On Monday, it was revealed that Nigeria's women's 100m gold medal winner Osayemi Oludamola had also tested positive for the same substance.

"On anti-doping, we have now conducted 1,200 tests and again I regret to inform you that a second athlete has tested positive," said Fennell.

"It is Nigerian 110m hurdler Samuel Okon who tested positive for the same substance (as Oludamola)."

He said a provisional hearing would be held into the matter later Tuesday but that Okon had waived his right to have a B test.

Fennell added that his team had held talks with the Nigerian delegation about the embarrassing test results and he was "satisfied they are taking the matter very seriously."

TOI

Heena, Anu win 31st gold for India

NEW DELHI: Heena Sidhu and Anu Raj Singh won the 31st gold for India in the 19th Commonwealth Games by winning the 10 m air pistol pairs women's event.


This is India's 14th gold medal from shooting.


Samresh Jung and Chandrashekhar Kumar Choudhary won silver in Pairs 25m Standard Pistol Men.


Tejaswani Sawant also won a silver in Singles 50m Rifle Prone.


India's medal winners on Tuesday

Gold (1)
Silver (2)
Bronze (0)
Heena Sidhu, Anu Raj Singh (women's 10 m air pistol pairs)
Samresh Jung, Chandrashekhar Kumar Choudhary (Pairs 25m Standard Pistol Men)






Tejaswani Sawant (Singles 50m Rifle Prone)




Later in the day, more medals of the yellow hue are awaited by the hosts at the shooting range, where four-gold hero Gagan Narang would be striving to draw level with 2006 Games hero Samaresh Jung and become the new "Gold Finger".


Narang, who had a two-day break after clinching his fourth title at the Dr Karni Singh range, will be gunning for the men's 50m rifle prone pairs event with Hariom Singh.


World champion Tejaswini Sawant is also competing in the women's 50m rifle prone individual event.


Indian shuttlers, led by Saina Nehwal, and paddlers, spearheaded by Achanta Sharath Kamal, too would be in the thick of action along with squash players Spirav Ghosal and Joshna Chinnappa in the mixed doubles quarters.


The men's and women's relay squad are to run in the finals of the athletics event. Also in action would be triple jumpers Renjith Maheswary and Amarjeet Singh, along with javelin throwing men's trio of Kashinath Naik, S amarjeet Singh and Rajender Singh.


Lalita Babar and Jhuma Khatun would be running in the energy-sapping women's 5000m.

TOI

Monday, October 11, 2010

Somdev provides only golden hue in tennis

NEW DELHI: Fields of gold, the tennis courts certainly weren't.

Expected to yield at least three gold medals, India came away with a solitary piece of yellow metal, thanks to world No. 97 Somdev Devvarman. The 25-year-old top seed kept his promise and won India their first-ever gold in what could be tennis' only appearance at the Commonwealth Games. Glasgow, the 2014 hosts, have opted to go without tennis even though they have in their ranks world No. 4 Andy Murray.

Devvarman is under no illusions about his game. He knows he doesn't have a forehand that can blast the opposition off the court or a serve that makes returning impossible. What he does have is an incalculable amount of stamina which ensures he can outrun and outlast his opponent on any given day. A relative newbie to the team, his display of emotion after his win showed that the win meant a big deal to him.

A field that was hurt by high-profile withdrawals - Murray, Lleyton Hewitt, Marcos Baghdatis and Samantha Stosur - the quality of tennis never lifted from average to interesting till the very end. Matches were over in less than 30 minutes and it was only from the semifinal stages, when the seeds clashed, that the Delhi crowds had decent tennis to watch.

Sania Mirza, who still commands a sizeable popularity among fans, grew from strength to strength, but even when spurred on by the very vocal support, couldn't halt Australian Anastasia Rodionova's medal spree and had to be content with a silver in singles and a bronze in the women's doubles, in which she partnered Rushmi Chankravarthi.

The biggest disappointment for India came when Grand Slam champions Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi flopped in their quest for gold and had to fight off compatriots Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna for the bronze.

Rodionova, a naturalized citizen, never left her allegiance to Australia in doubt. Just a look at her yellow and green painted nails along with the zeal she brought to the court even though she had to play two matches every day of the week in hot and humid Delhi were enough to see that winning here was bigger than just winning medals. She finally collected two golds and one silver.

The world No. 65, unlike other competitors across the board, who regularly complained about the crowd, was gracious enough to acknowledge the droves that turned up to watch the game, even though they cheered her errors more than her winners.

How the Indians fared (4 medals)

Gold: Somdev Devvarman
Silver: Sania Mirza
Bronze: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi & Sania Mirza and Rushmi Chakravarthi

TOI

Archery: India hope to find the zone in Asiad too

NEW DELHI: There were three gold medals to show but overall India's display was not something to gloat about. Well, that is the mood in the Indian camp as they train their bows for the forthcoming Asian Games next month.

"We should have won at least four gold medals. It's a bit disappointing," remarked Rahul Banerjee, who won the individual recurve gold, encapsulating the mood, a day after the archery events concluded at the Yamuna Sports Complex.

The men's failure to justify the top billing in team recurve championship besides Jayanta Talukdar and Dola Banerjee faltering ahead of the individual finals meant that England and Australia had a field day.

English archers, in fact, emerged the undisputed rulers in compound category, winning all four gold on offer. It was also a historic moment for wheelchair-user Danielle Brown, who became the first Paralympian to compete in an able-bodied event at the CWG and claimed glory as part of England's compound team.

Yet, Deepika Kumari provided the golden glow. The way this 17-year-old girl from Ranchi blew away England's five-time Olympian Alison Williamson was fairytale stuff. Deepika will need to carry the momentum to the Asian Games where the challenge is more pronounced with the presence of traditional powerhouses like South Korea and China.

But she is confident of breaking India's wait for a medal at the Asian Games and Olympics. "Her hunger for success is an education for everybody who wants to make archery as a sporting career," said Dola, guardian and inspiration for the teenager.

With accolades and financial windfall coming in thick and fast (Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for her), she looks poised for more glory.

The focus, thus, at the national camp which gets under way at the SAI Eastern Centre from Tuesday, should be on reshuffling the men's team composition. Tarundeep Rai's lacklustre form here (he failed to make the individual recurve quarters) is a worry which demands immediate remedy. Perhaps, it is time Mangal Champia was recalled for the Asian Games.

Deepika and others, however, will have little time to celebrate their CWG show since 'Destination Guangzhou' is already on the horizon.

How the Indians fared (8 medals)

Gold (3): Deepika Kumari (women's Recurve individual), Rahul Banerjee (men's Recurve individual), Dola Banerjee, Deepika & Bombayala Devi (women's team Recurve)
Silver (1): Men's team Compound (Ritul, Jignas and Srither)
Bronze (4): Dola (individual Recurve), Jayanta (individual Recurve), Men's team Recurve and Women's team Compound

TOI

New twist to 100m: Gold medalist Oludamola tests positive

NEW DELHI: The jinx in women's 100m at the ongoing Commonwealth Games continued. On Monday, gold medalist Osayemi Oludamola of Nigeria was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance. She now faces the prospect of losing her medal. Oludamola attended a Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) provisional hearing on Monday afternoon, which upheld her suspension till the result of the test on her B sample arrives on Wednesday. Oludamola had asked for the B sample to be tested.

CGF chief Mike Fennell had announced earlier in the day that Oludamola had tested positive for methylhexaneamine (MHA), a drug which had afflicted 12 Indian sportspersons in the build-up to the Games. The 'tainted dozen' escaped immediate punishment after WADA shifted it from non-specified substances list to the specified substances list. Saurabh Vij (shot putter) even competed at the Games, without any success though.

Fennell revealed that over 950 tests had been conducted and out of 700 results arrived at so far, only Oludamola had been found positive. The Nigerian got the women's 100m gold after Australian Sally Pearson was stripped of her first position owing to a mistaken identity after a false start.

The 24-year-old Oludamola competed in the 200m semifinals on Sunday but failed to qualify for the final. Oludamola had been quite harsh after Pearson's disqualification and had been quoted as saying: "I don't know why they allow people to participate in competitions if they cannot follow the rules."

TOI

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Deepika, Sushil steal show as India regain 2nd spot

STAFF WRITER 18:34 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) The fierce battle for gaining the second spot in the Commonwealth Games continued in earnest between India and England on the seventh day of competitions with the hosts edging in front by bagging four gold medals.

Teenage archer Deepika Kumari upset an Olympic bronze medallist to win the recurve gold, Harpreet Singh clinched the 25m centre fire pistol gold, archer Rahul Banerjee grabbed the men's individual recurve gold and world wrestling champion Sushil Kumar won the 66kg title by destroying all his rivals.

Vijay Kumar bagged silver behind Harpreet, freestyle wrestler Anuj Kumar also got a silver in men's 84 kg, trap shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu secured a bronze while Jayanta Talukdar finished third behind Banerjee.

Sania Mirza and Rushmi Chakravarthi beat compatriots Nirupama Sanjeev and Poojashree Venkatesh to secure the women's doubles bronze in tennis and swell India's medal kitty.

Vijender floors Namibian boxer in 98 seconds!

NEW DELHI: For Indians accustomed to three-hour Bollywood movies, three-hour CWG opening ceremony and three hours of T20 excitement, watching Vijender Singh's bouts must be a very different experience. You blink and it's over.

On Sunday, in front of sell-out house, Singh showcased his version of the 'Theater of the Absurd' when the world champion floored Namibia's Elias Nashville in just 1 minute, 38 seconds in the first round with a piercing left that appeared from a distance to be just a graze to the chin.

Nashville, who fell due to the impact, tried to lift himself up and the crowd too hoped that he did. But Nashville's corner-men picked him up, pushed him gently down to the stool and removed the laces of his gloves before 23-year-old could even utter a word, thereby cutting short the Vijender-show by 7 minutes, 62 seconds.

Vijender blew plenty of kisses to express his appreciation of the noisy fans. In fact, it won't be stretching belief to say that he blew more kisses than he landed his counters. Vijender had earlier reached the quarterfinals on Friday when the referee had stopped the contest against his Kenyan opponent at 16-1 with 28 seconds remaining in the second round.

"I want to fight... knockout just happens," said Vijender (75kg), who reckoned that it's just not because of his reputation that his challengers are going down so easily. "It doesn't make a difference, if you go out there with a swagger. You have to punch them. Only then will they know about your reputation."

Meanwhile, defending champion Akhil Kumar bowed out after losing to Olympic bronze medalist Bruno Julie in the quarterfinals. "The effort was there but I lost... A loss is a loss. If I scream now about injustice, that scores weren't given on some of the punches, it won't matter. I'm not disappointed. If God has written this as my fate then I have to accept it," said Akhil, who had beaten Julie in the Melbourne Games final.

Akhil appeared a bit jaded and couldn't dig deep when it mattered. He lost 7-5. Meanwhile, Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg), Dilbag Singh (69kg) all went through to the semifinals to assure India of more medals. Bhagwan blanked Waheed Sogbamu of Nigeria 10-0 while Dilbag overcame Botswana's Moabi Mothiba 11-3.

"If I get gold, my life will change. There will be fame and lots of financial benefits," said Bhagwan, who dedicated his medal to Vijender who motivated him to come back to the ring after a break of two years. "I was low on confidence going into the ring because Akhil had just lost. But as soon as my punches started landing and I started getting the scores, my confidence soared."

TOI

Commonwealth Games: Women's 200m race postponed

NEW DELHI: For the second time in the track and field events in the Commonwealth Games here, an athlete has protested after being disqualified in the women's 200m semifinals on Sunday and the final has been postponed for Monday.

Cyprus sprinter Eleni Artymata appealed to the jury after she was disqualified after winning the semifinals (heat 1) and that put her in the finals, which was scheduled late Sunday night. But a terse press release issued by technical delegate Bill Bailey said the event has been postponed till 17:50 hrs on Monday due to "the results of semifinals being appealed to the jury".

It is learnt that Artymata, who ran in lane No 5 in the semifinals, had cut into the other lane but the race officials did not see it and she was declared winner and among the finalists.

But she was disqualified after one of the athletes lodged an appeal and Cypriot counter-appealed to the jury which was yet to take a decision.

TOI

CWG: India thrash Pakistan 7-4 to reach hockey semifinals

NEW DELHI: One preliminary group game of hockey brought the Commonwealth Games alive on Sunday at the National Stadium. If sports is all about unadulterated joy, high emotion and great drama, then the India- Pakistan match provided all of it and more as 30,000 fans experienced salvation.

After all, you don't see Rahul Gandhi jumping for joy too often. On this day, he could not help but go with the flow as the stadium swayed to the tune of 'Chak De, India'. Rahul, sitting by Sonia Gandhi's side, cheered like a young, exuberant fan every time India found the net.

And they found it as many as seven times. In an incredibly high-octane, thrill-a-minute match, India, in a must-win situation, bamboozled Pakistan 7-4 to make the semifinals. While this equalled the record of the most goals India have ever scored against Pakistan in a match, it also continued the trend of their recent domination over the arch-rivals.

Barring small periods here and there, India played with great purpose and control against a team which could not withstand the pressure of 11 men on the field and thousands off it. That the Pakistani team had several newcomers helped the hosts who took full advantage.

Taking the game by the scruff of the neck, India all but settled the issue by the 20th minute by going 4-0 up. Sandeep Singh converted two penalty corners to make it 2-0 before finding Shivendra Singh in the 'D' with a beautiful pass which he coolly slotted home. And even before the celebratory roar had subsided, the fourth goal was added when Sarawanjit Singh angled it in after a Sandeep PC hit was blocked by the defence.

The crowd had by then gone hoarse with the constant cheering and shouting. The situation calmed down a bit when Pakistan got two back as India went off the boil in the last minutes of the first half.

Half-time at 4-2, Pakistan still had a chance, especially as they needed only a draw to advance. Those aspirations were mowed down when Danish Mujtaba reacted sharply to score off a PC rebound and Dharamvir Singh scored a mercurial field goal off a Shivendra pass to make in 6-2 by the 45th minute. All that Pakistan could now do was to scrounge for respectability. They did that with two goals but in between, Shivendra got his second to complete a rather fulsome scoreline.

TOI

Friday, October 8, 2010

India's biggest medal haul in sight at Commonwealth Games

NEW DELHI: Six gold medals on Friday - the halfway mark of the 2010 Commonwealth Games - took India's gold tally to 20 and ensured that it is well on its way to overhauling its best-ever medal haul at the Games.

With a certain Gagan Narang on fire and more medals expected in the coming days, India could easily trump the previous high of 30 gold medals, earned in Manchester eight years ago.

Incidentally, that haul was inflated by the fact that each weight category of weightlifting awarded three gold medals, a practice that has been discontinued since then.

Narang picked up his third gold medal in the competition on Friday and looks good for at least three more.

Over the next two days, Dola Banerjee and Deepika Kumari in the women's individual recurve event, and Jayanta Talukdar and Rahul Banerjee in men's recurve could fetch India gold.

Sushil Kumar (66kg) leads India's gold hopes in men's freestyle wrestling, while Yogeshwar Dutt (60kg), Anuj Kumar (84kg) and Anil Kumar (55kg) are the other contenders.

Tennis could also see gold in the individual events if Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman stay true to their rankings. National record holder Sarabjit and Monika Devi (75kg) too are strong gold medal prospects in weightlifting.

All of which should see India canter past the mark of 30, and help it as it battles to keep the second spot against an increasingly intense challenge from England.

India's medal winners on Friday
Gold (6)

Silver (5)

Bronze (3)

India's total tally so far: 20 (G)-16 (S)-12 (B) = 48


TOI

Where are the tickets? OC blames server

NEW DELHI: If you stood in a queue to buy tickets for a Commonwealth Games event and were eventually turned away, don't blame the Organising Committee. On a day when the stadiums, empty so far, began filling up dramatically, OC chairperson Suresh Kalmadi insisted that all was well.

''There are 14 lakh tickets for spectators for all the sports events. Of these, 9 lakh have already been sold,'' he said. What about the rest of the tickets? Reports of spectators being turned away from venues after being told that events are sold out have become common over the past few days. Kalmadi admits it's an issue that the OC is looking into.

On Friday, for several sports events — even those not featuring India — the Games staff was telling people who had turned up at the windows that tickets were not available. Rishabh Arora, who had come to catch the final of the mixed team badminton match between India and Malaysia, couldn't get tickets. ''So, I asked for tickets for the squash match, which didn't have India in any important match. But I was told that tickets were not available.''

This is not an isolated experience. Suddenly, the city seems to be running out of tickets for even matches that have no mass appeal and eventually the stands are empty.

Even those who have bought tickets online are facing a lot of trouble. Many say vouchers are taking hours to be redeemed for a ticket, with counters claiming that the server hasn't updated the central seating arrangements after sales at other counters. Spectators are also complaining about the time spent filling out forms. The form, which has a long set of 10-12 questions, is a replica of the one that you need to fill online. Spectators are questioning the need to fill out the form when the person himself comes to buy tickets. ''Why can't they just sell the ticket like at other events, for instance IPL? What's the need for the form,'' asked Badal, buying tickets at a counter.

Sources however say the reason for people being turned away is the slow server. The server is managed and run by IRCTC. Said a senior OC official, ''It was expected that around 3 lakh hits would be generated for sales every day but the actual number is double of that and the server can't cope.'' With the server becoming slow, sources say the staff at the ticket counters are unable to get a correct picture of the seats available, prompting it to give the stock response — 'sold out' — to people.

Kalmadi says the issue is being looked into though he prefers to attribute the absence of spectators to the long waiting time, longer walks and the midday heat. ''Many ticket-holding spectators haven't turned up for many events during the day but the later matches had full attendance,'' says the OC chairperson.

With many complimentary passes being given away — the OC is nowadays over-run by those looking for such passes — the stands should be filling up fast, especially after OC claims that tickets are much in demand. Lalit Bhanot, OC secretary-general, in fact says that tickets for boxing, wrestling, swimming and hockey are all sold out.

TOI

Two more cobras caught in Village

NEW DELHI: Two more snakes surfaced at the Commonwealth Games Village on Friday night. The reptiles, both spectacled cobras about 2.5 to 3 feet long, were rescued and prompt action by the authorities ensured there was no scare in the complex.

The first snake was spotted under a security barricade at Gate 2. Wildlife SOS, the NGO contracted by OC to deal with animal emergencies, said they received a call on their helpline from the Village control room around 9.10pm. A team reached the spot at 9.25pm and was in the midst of rescuing the animal when it was told about another snake having been spotted at a barrier near Gate 1, which is used by athletes.

''Within 15-20 minutes, both snakes were rescued,'' said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS. ''In both cases, the area where the snakes had been seen was cordoned off to avoid a scare. The venue manager acted swiftly and this led to an incident-free rescue,'' he said.

Satyanarayan said the snakes, both young cobras, would be released at the city's Asola Wildlife Sanctuary. Spectacled cobras, also known as Indian cobras, are responsible for a large proportion of snakebite cases in the country.

This is the third instance of snakes being found at the Village. A snake was found inside a room that was to be used by a South African athlete, according to the country's high commissioner. Days later, a cobra, was rescued from one of the gates in the Village.

TOI

Cameras mounted on choppers to telecast road events, closing ceremony live

NEW DELHI: Cycling, marathon and closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games will be telecast live from air using helicopters as the government on Friday decided to allow choppers mounted with cameras to fly over the road events and the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium.

The helicopters will, however, not be allowed to fly over the 'no-fly' zone during road cycling and marathon as it houses the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, Prime Minister's residence and many other vital installations.

While the cycling event is scheduled to be held on Sunday, the marathon will take place on October 14, the concluding day of the show piece event.

The decision to allow helicopters to fly over designated roads for cycling and marathon and the JLN Stadium was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top home ministry officials and security agencies.

The events on the particular stretch, which come under the 'no-fly' zone, will be covered by the ground TV crew.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell said the aerial shots of Delhi would be a "scenic appearance" and its broadcast all over the world would be a "fantastic" promotion for the Capital.

Meanwhile, the government is expecting that several heads of states would participate in the closing ceremony on October 14.

"Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has, so far, confirmed his participation in the closing ceremony. We are expecting several more heads of state's attendance," a top government official said.

Only one chopper will be used to cover the closing ceremony live from the JLN Stadium on October 14. "The chopper will be used in such a way that it won't interfere with the show inside the stadium," said the official.

TOI

Haryanvi women shine bright in CWG

ROHTAK: Haryanvi CWG medal winners Geeta and her younger sister Babita, who won gold and silver in wrestling, have not only stormed the male bastion, but also sent a strong message to their state, which has a skewed sex ratio with a girl child being at the receiving end.

The duo's father Mahavir Singh, a former wrestler, had initiated them into wrestling when they were 13. Belonging to a farmer's family in Balali village of Bhiwani district, the girls used to fight with boys at dangals, where they were taken by their father.

TOI

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

'Saina Nehwal's game has everything'

NEW DELHI: That Lee Chong Wei's three Indian 'adventures' ended in disasters is not reason enough to look beyond the Malaysian ace when it comes to pinning the 'favourite' tag at the XIX Commonwealth Games.

The World No.1 is in omnious form, and on a new high after taming his long-time nemesis Lin Dan at the Japan Open last month.

With seemingly no serious challenger to his supremacy this time, Wei is all but assured of ending his Indian title drought.

The reigning All England champion, who, along with Saina Nehwal and Denmark's Tine Baun, is leading the world challenge against Chinese domination, was all praise for the Indian ace as he spoke about the Games and the game. Excerpts:

You don't have a good record in India, and even complained of food poisoning in Hyderabad last year. Any more complaints on your fourth visit?

Actually, we were very apprehensive about coming here. Till the last minute, pulling out of the Games was very much on my mind. We were a bit worried about the security and the facilities. But since we arrived here, everything has been fine. The facilities are good, the food is good and we have no issues about security.

At last you have managed to beat Lin Dan at the Japan Open. Have you figured out a way against him?

I know I am getting better. I am confident that Lin Dan will not be able to dominate me anymore. From now on all our matches will be very evenly-contested, I hope.

You, Saina and Tine are the only shuttlers who are able to challenge the Chinese domination. Will there be more players in future?

I hope so. The Chinese have a very good system. But it's good for the sport if there are more players like Saina. She's giving a tough time to the Chinese.

Which aspect of Saina's game impresses you the most?

She is a great fighter. She has a very good game; her retrieving is good and she moves well on the court. But I think she needs to gain more experience. She has everything in her game and I am expecting her to get better and better.

Who do you think can trouble you here on the court?

We have a pretty strong team. England and India won't be able to stop us.

TOI

Kipsiro lands Uganda's first gold; Geeta in 100m semis

NEW DELHI: An Ugandan storm derailed the formidable Kenyan Express in the men's 5,000m at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday. Moses Kipsiro always had a chance of upsetting favourite Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya - the Beijing Olympics silver medallist - and he used his long strides to gift Uganda their first gold medal of the Games.

"I knew I could win here," an ecstatic Moses said. "The last 800m were crucial and I had to hold off the Kenyans in this zone. I am happy that I managed to do that."

Incidentally, India's Sunil Kumar and Sandeep Batham finished 14th and 16th respectively, exposing the vast gulf between them and the Commonwealth's best.

"This is my first Commonwealth Games medal and I am happy with whatever I have got," Eliud said. Fellow Kenyan Mark Kiptoo took the bronze, relegating Vincent Yator to fourth place. Moses led from start to finish.

It was a good day for India, with Abdul Najeeb Qureshi equalling the National record of 10.30s in mens 100m. "My aim for the Commonwealth Games was to break the National record, Qureshi said. Now that I have equalled it, I will try to break it." Having qualified for the semifinals, he will get another chance to go for the record on Thursday.

S Geetha and HM Jyothi made it to the semifinals of women's 100m. Geetha finished fifth in her heats, while Jyothi managed a fourth place. St. Vicent and Grenedine's Natasha Mayers was the fastest with a time of 11.33s, her season's best. Favourite Laura Turner of England clocked 11.50s.

Manjeet Kaur topped the fourth heat in women's 400m with a timing of 52.76s to qualify for the semifinals. However, that was nowhere near her National record of 51.05s. Mandeep Kaur also qualified for the semifinals. Botswana's Amantle Montsho was the fastest at 51.56s.

In the field events, Om Prakash and Saurav Vij both qualified for the shot put final. Om Prakash warmed up with a throw of 18.48m. Vij was disappointing, with a best effort of 17.16m. Canada's Dylon Armstrong had the best throw of the day at 20.01m.

In women's hammer throw, Hardeep Kaur qualified for final managing a 11th place, while Manju Bala finished 15th to miss out. Para-athlete Deepa Malik finished fourth in women's shot put. Australia's Louise Ellery won the gold.

Results: 5,000m: 1. Moses Kipsiro (Uganda) 13:31.25s, 2. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 13:31.32s, 3. Mark Kiptoo (Kenya) 13:32.58s.

Indians in action: Men: 100m: Abdul Najeeb Qureshi in semifinals; 5,000m: Sunil Kumar 14, Sandeep Batham 15; Shot put: Om Prakash, Sourav Vij in final. Women: 100m: S Geetha and HM Jyoti in semis; 400m: Manjit Kaur and Mandeep Kaur in semis; Hammer throw: Hardeep Kaur in final.

TOI

Barrier mishap at Village injures 3 foreigners

NEW DELHI: In a major embarrassment for hosts India, a hi-tech device meant to secure the Games Village ended up seriously injuring three top officials from Uganda, including the chef de mission and the press attache. The car carrying the officials was entering the Village late Tuesday night when a tyre killer - a sharp-edged barrier that stays below the ground when authorized vehicles are being let in - rose suddenly and hit the vehicle.

The three occupants were thrown about inside their Tata Sumo Grande as it braked sharply and hit the barrier. Ugandan chef de mission William Tumwine, administrative officer Iren and press attache Juliet were rushed to G B Pant Hospital with injuries on the forehead and eyes. Tumwine and Iren underwent immediate eye surgeries. Curiously, no case has been registered by the police.

It's not clear whether the mishap was caused by human error or a device malfunction. Police sources maintain it was the latter. They said the incident was reported past midnight on Tuesday (12.30am Wednesday morning) when the tyre killer was incorrectly activated after the radio frequency reader failed to read the vehicle's sticker. The car had crossed the boom barrier and was approaching gate number 1 meant for athletes and team officials.

However, it's possible that a security personnel accidentally pressed the button to activate the tyre killer before the vehicle had gone past the device, which is located 200-300 metres from the boom barrier.

Confirming the incident, Dorah Kuteesa, minister counsellor, Uganda high commission, said, ''Our chef de mission and two other officials have got injured. Due to the impact, the chef de mission and Iren suffered injuries on the forehead and left eye. Both were operated last night. Iren has got as many as 20 stitches near her left eye and forehead.''

A team of doctors from Guru Nanak Eye centre - the designated eye hospital for the Games - was called in at 2am to carry out the surgeries. ''Iren had serious muscular injuries near her left eye and forehead. It's a big cut on the eyelid and left side of the face," said a hospital source.


TOI

Monday, October 4, 2010

Silver lining for India on Day 1 as Aussies begin to dominate

NEW DELHI: A day after silencing a carping world with a spectacular opening ceremony, India kicked off its ambitious campaign to win 100 medals at this year's Commonwealth Games by bagging four - two silver and two bronze.

The first medal should have been a cause for celebration but the winner, Soniya Chanu, was inconsolable. Chanu, a favourite to win the women's 48kg weightlifting category, was upstaged by Nigerian schoolgirl Augustine Nwaololo and tearfully apologized. The bronze went to India's Sandhya Rani Atom.

Sukhen Dey gave India its other silver in the men's 56kg weightlifting category, with army man V Srinivas Rao taking bronze. Malaysia's Ibrahim Amirul won gold to add to the three he won in the 2002 Games.

India finished the day at No. 7 on the medals tally, some way off its declared objective of the second spot. But there are still plenty of days and events to go.

Meanwhile, the Australians picked up four of the eight golds on offer. Stephanie Rice may have stayed away, but Alicia Coutts and Kylie Palmer won early golds in the pool. The men's 4x100m freestyle relay team landed a third swimming gold, while the men won the artistic gymnastics team gold - the first time the Aussies have won this event at the Commonwealth Games.

TOI

Indian women draw with Scotland

NEW DELHI: A draw isn't the best way to boost one's morale but silver medallists India had no choice but to settle for one after a diffident performance against Scotland in the opening Pool A women's hockey match on Monday.

Scotland had everything going for them in the first half in terms of ascendancy, ball possession and a lone goal but a quick resurgence after the breather saw India equalise via Jasjeet Kaur Handa.

An abortive penalty corner and scores of missed chances that the game was dotted with towards the final quarter only highlighted what India do best: the miss and rue rigmarole.

Holly Cram put Scotland ahead in the third minute with a close-range stunner that found the far corner even as goalkeeper Dipika Murthy stood clueless. Jasjeet's equaliser was equally impressive - perhaps the best move of the match - when she, put in possession by Ritu Rani, weaved past the defence before unleashing a backhander from the top of the circle.

"We were done in by a nervous start," said coach Sandeep Somesh. "We created chances in the second half but didn't score. I am disappointed with the result."

Results:

Pool A: India 1 (Jasjeet Kaur Handa 45th) drew with Scotland 1 (Holly Cram 3rd). South Africa 12 (Coetzee P 2nd, 10th, 26th, 63rd, Lesle-ann George 39th, Jennifer Wilson 42nd, 47th, Dirkie Chamberlain 43rd, 68th, 70th, Kathleen Taylor 44th, Farah Fredericks 62nd) bt T&T 0.

Pool B: Malaysia 3 (Norbaini Hashim 18th, 56th, Norfaraha Hashim 49th pc) bt Canada 2 ( Diana Roemer 56th, Anna Kozniuk 59th).

TOI

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Oil Min announces rewards for Indian CWG medalists

STAFF WRITER 16:58 HRS IST

New Delhi, Oct 3 (PTI) In a bid to boost India's chances at the Commonwealth Games, Oil Minister today announced cash awards for Indian medal winners.

Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), whose patron is Deora, will give Rs 10 lakh for every gold medalist, Rs 7.5 lakh for silver medalist and Rs 5 lakh for every bronze medalist, an official statement said here.

Describing the significance of the decision, Deora said that this will go a long way in promoting sports in the country. He expressed hope that the lead provided by the oil PSUs and PSPB will encourage youngsters to take sports as a career.

Games good foundation for Olympic bid by India: Rogge

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge provided a late lift to Delhi Commonwealth Games when he dashed to the city to attend the opening ceremony. Amid his packed schedule, he found time for an exclusive interview with Boria Majumdar. Excerpts:

You've been a major supporter of India. What do you now think of Delhi? Are we ready for the Games?

I think everything will be fine. I mean, of course, you can only judge the organisation at the moment of the closing ceremony, but I think things are going well. The fundamentals are in place. We have very experienced and motivated people, so I think you will have a very good Games.

From what you've seen, do you think we have the potential to mount an Olympic bid?

That is something I can only give an opinion on if I see the full bid because there is still a difference between Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. The size of Olympics is bigger; there are more athletes, more sports. The organization is more complicated. If the Commonwealth Games are a success, which I believe they will be, that will be a very good foundation to think about a possible candidature for the traditional games. A successful Commonwealth Games will definitely make India proud. There's no doubt about that. It'll be a major achievement. It is something you can show to the rest of the world and say, 'We can organise a great event.' And I believe that will be the case. My message to India would be practice sport. Let the young people practice as many sports as possible. Because sport is education, sport is health, sport is joy. The most important people in the games are not the organizers or the spectators, they are the athletes who have trained so hard to get to peak condition. They all come with a lot of expectations so they must be happy. If at the end of the Games the athletes are happy, then that is really a success. There was a lot of criticism about India. All of us were very anxious whether this country has the potential and whether we'd be able to stage the show.

You were here in Pune for the Youth Games. And now you are here for the Delhi Games. From what you've seen, are you satisfied?

I think you've worked hard. Again, the final judgment can only be rendered at the closing ceremony. But I think its going to be a success because you've worked hard and the fundamentals seem to be in good shape. So I remain optimistic.

One of the major questions debated by the world was security. From the airport to the hotel, you have been around. Are you satisfied with the security preparation?

I don't know the security preparations in detail but from what I've seen, there's definitely good security. With a lot of discipline and very well applied. It's also kind, not oppressive or intrusive. And you know that these personnel are working for our security, so I feel very sympathetic to them. In India these games can really set the stage to have a sporting culture, and the Olympic movement can take off.

Are you really keen that the developing world actually gets into the frame of the Olympic movement like the way the west has done?

Yes, definitely. I think it would be fantastic if India could improve its sporting performance. You have great athletes and you have one overriding sport, which is cricket. But we need more gold medals from the second most populous country in the world. So I say India should and can and will make major progress in the Olympics.

TOI

Niue's 3% population is at CWG

NEW DELHI: About three per cent of Niue's entire population is currently in New Delhi. All of them are staying at the Commonwealth Games Village. "We are a small country," island nation Niue's chef-de-mission Alan Tano Puleosi told TOI on Sunday. "And we are a sporting one too."

Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, this island of about 1200 inhabitants is not as small as it sounds. With an area of 269 sq km, it is bigger than all the 15 Cook Islands put together. It is the tiny fun-loving population that makes this island so interesting. Forty-three of them are here, which includes 37 athletes. It forms a substantial chunk of their colourful population.

"We play a lot of sport," Puleosi, who is the country's weightlifting association's president and a former rugby player, said.

"We will be competing in athletics, weightlifting, shooting, lawn bowls, wrestling and boxing," Puleosi said. He expects a medal from weightlifter Narita Viliamu, in the women's 75kg category. Young Narita was the silver medallist in the Mini Pacific Games, an achievement for the nation.

There are others too of course, like athletes Ponifasio Tahamaka and Suitulunga Tupuiliu, boxer Travis Tapatuetoa, shooters Sionebelle Togiavolu and San Juan Talagi, who look forward to taking back some pleasant memories. Niue is not a part of the International Olympic Committees family, therefore the Commonwealth Games is their biggest stage in the sporting arena.

Niue is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, which means the bigger and more powerful nation takes care of their defence and foreign affairs. It is something similar to the relationship between India and Bhutan.

11 NATIONS WHO COMPETE ONLY AT CWG

Isle of Man
British Crown Dependency
Population: 85,000
CWG star: Mark Cavendish, cyclist

Jersey
British Crown Dependency
Population: 91,000

St. Helena
British Overseas Territory
Population: 4,000

Montserrat
British Overseas Territory
Population: 5,000

Turks & Caicos
British Overseas Territory
Population: 36,000

Anguilla
British Overseas Territory
Population: 14,000

Guernsey
British Crown Territory
Population: 65,000

Gibraltar
British Overseas Territory
Population: 30,000

Falkland Islands
British Overseas Territory
Population: 4,000

Norfolk Islands
Self governing territory (Australia connection)
Population: 2,500

Niue
Associated state (NZ connection)
Population: 2,000

TOI

Paul lauds India for fantastic CWG opening ceremony

LONDON: NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul on Sunday congratulated India and its people to make the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi a huge success and said critics would now realise India is able to meet its international commitment.

Commenting after witnessing the fabulous opening, Lord Paul said, "Congratulations to India and the Indian people, specially all those who have worked very hard to achieve what they have done.

"All of us, I am personally proud of India and its people. I hope critics in future would realise India does things in its own style and timing and they should not judge India from their way of thinking but India is able to meet its international commitment. It is great pride to be of Indian-origin."

Lord Paul, Britain's Ambassador for overseas business, said Mrs Sheila Dikshit, the Delhi chief minister deserved special qudos.

"Congratulations specially to Mrs Dikshit whom I have always known as a person of great commitment. I genuinely feel she has done a fabulous job."

TOI

Delhi CWG will be experience of a lifetime: Prince Charles

NEW DELHI: Prince Charles said on Sunday that the Delhi Commonwealth Games will be an "experience of a lifetime" as he inaugurated the 19th edition of the international sporting event.

"I send my best wishes (for the Games) which I am sure will be an experience of a lifetime. Madam president and distinguished guests, I declare the 19th Commonwealth Games open," Charles said.

After recieving the Queen's baton from India's world wrestling champion Sushil Kumar, Charles said he was very "pleased" to represent her at the "splendid" opening ceremony.

As Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was bathed in a riot of colours, the prince read out the Queen's message, recalling that the baton had been handed over just a year ago at London's Buckingham Palace and was carried through relay runners through all the countries and territories of the Commonwealth.

"It is particularly fitting that the 2010 Commonwealth Games are being held in India," he said, quoting the Queen.

"When countries can compete in sports like this, it serves as an inspiration for all nation to work for peace around the world," he said.

TOI

President, Prince Charles declare CWG open

NEW DELHI: The 19th Commonwealth Games was on Sunday jointly declared open by Prince Charles and President of India Pratibha Patil in a diplomatic compromise that was worked out much before the inauguration.

Officially the Queen, the ceremonial head of the Commonwealth, declares the Games open. But the monarch's decision not to attend the ceremony for the first time in 44 years led to a diplomatic arrangement between the British officials and the Indian authorities.

Under the compromise it was decided that both Charles and President Patil would jointly declare the Games open.

In a spectacular opening ceremony, after the Queen's baton was handed over by Beijing Olympic bronze medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar to Charles, the Prince of Wales read out the Queen's message but it was President Patil who had the last word, saying, "Let the Games begin".

"My wife and I are pleased to be able to join you here in Delhi, where I have been asked by Her Majesty the Queen to be here at the start of the 19th Commonwealth Games," Prince Charles said in his message.

"It is fitting that these Games are being held in India. I firmly believe that when countries can compete in sports together like this, it helps all nations to search together for peace throughout the world.

"To everyone, I send my very best wishes for what I hope will be the experience of a lifetime. I have much pleasure in declaring the 19th Commonwealth Games open," it said.

President Patil then delivered her speech in which she said now that the Games are open, let them begin.

"Sports has always been a powerful bridge among different cultures and at the Commonwealth Games we shall see that coming true once again. We will see the power of sports bond together with commonality.

"In the next 11 days we will see thousands of athletes engaging in various sports competitions and witness the unfolding of variety of emotions. We shall see human endeavour at its very best," she said.

"We wish the athletes the very best in their dedicated pursuit of excellence. I am sure everyone will cherish the Games. To my fellow Indians, let's showcase our legendary hospitality while we celebrate sport in our country.

"The Games are now open, let the Games begin," she said.

TOI

Finally, Delhi dazzles at CWG opening ceremony

NEW DELHI: In the end, it turned out like a perfect Indian wedding. Shrugging off all the heartburns, last-minute snafus and accompanying chaos, everything fell into place; and it left both the baraatis and the dulhanwaalahs, with huge smiles on their faces.

The next few days will tell us if the honeymoon too, if not the marriage itself, will be as successful.

A festive crowd of almost 60,000 packed the stadium and lustily cheered through the ceremony. They cheered former President A P J Abdul Kalam (who got the biggest hand), UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and other luminaries. They cheered the performers. They gave a standing ovation to the Indian contingent. And, in a truly moving moment that warmed the hearts of even the most cynical, they reserved the second-biggest round of applause for the Pakistani contingent.

The only break in the bonhomie came when Organizing Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi was jeered as he began his speech. But the joy of the occasion took over, with Kalmadi concluding to cheers, though he referred to Kalam as Abdul Kalam Azad.

In three spellbinding hours, light, colour and technology merged to present a well-conceived and immaculate show. Yet, in the same space, India managed to showcase its rich history, culture and higher learning to the entire world.

Two complaints: It would have been nice to have had a greater Bollywood presence. The most popular symbol of Indian contemporary culture was clearly inadequately represented. And we could have done with fewer long-winded speeches.

On the positive side, the Nehru Stadium looked like a bride through the evening. It dazzled like a diamond, showing off its rubies and sapphires or emeralds and pearls intermittently. Up above, the aerostat hovered proudly like a giant spaceship, spewing colours and designs that would easily be at home in some other planet too.

The theme of the show was quite evidently, unity in diversity. It couldn't have been more appropriate, coming just a few days after the country peacefully accepted a court verdict on one of its bitterest disputes.

On Sunday night, the show-setters at the JN Stadium, almost prophetically, encapsulated the country's amazing commonality, lying just under the surface, by picking its most variegated strands and nuances and stitching them together into a single fabric.

Not surprisingly, the ceremony started with the segment called Rhythms of India: ingeniously though, it didn't assemble the entire array of sounds at the country's disposal. It simply brought together a family which has probably never met as one, and never will again: the drummers of India.

Expectedly, they were different in every aspect, right from the way they are played to the way they sound. Different timbres and different textures that make it virtually impossible to integrate into a symphony. Yet, here at the CWG, that's precisely what happened as they entwined into one powerful entity.

Dhols, dholaks and drums from 10 corners of the nation reverberated in the stadium, rising to a crescendo to capture the heartbeat of India.

Even before the buzz could dissipate, Hariharan sang Swagatam as a thousand students from Delhi's schools celebrated. Next, it was time to invite the athletes from 71 countries. As they marched in, the drums rolled and the lights twinkled. Australia, England, South Africa were given warm welcomes; but the loudest round was reserved for the Pakistani contingent, greeted like long-lost brothers.

Pretty soon, it was time for the real show-stoppers: India. It was back to ground reality, though, the very next instant. As Suresh Kalmadi was invited to give the welcome address, boos hissed out of angry hearts. Kalmadi, to his credit, braved through the moment and, vacillating between crinkled brows and tight smiles, carried out his job.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and CWG chairman Mike Fennell too were given their two minutes before, first, Prince Charles and then President Pratibha Patil declared the Games open.

Then, it was time to bring India together once again. They found it in the Tree of Knowledge, one of India's most alluring qualities through the ages.

As sheets descended from the spaceship and met the ground below, it transformed into a gigantic tree, reminiscent of the marvel in Cameron's Avatar.

Out of it emerged the various dance exponents of the country. Yet, once again, they managed to find a meeting point, doing bharatanatyam, kuchipidi, Manipuri to just one beat. Each choreographed by the master of their art, they blended into each other sweetly without losing their own purity and character too.

India's biggest contribution to the world, no doubt, is it's spirituality. In the segment called Yoga, its 5,000 years of learning was presented by school children even as mantras and sacred shlokas cast everybody in their trance-like spell.

The sombre mood, however, was promptly broken by the arrival of the Great Indian Journey, choreographed by Bansi Kaul. Heralded by the lilting number 'Chaiyya, Chaiyya,' the biggest unifier of the country for years, Indian Railways, won everybody's hearts. Accompanied by folk dancers from the heart of India, a million vignettes gave us a glimpse of our hinterland: doodhwalas, politicians in their ubiquitous Ambassadors, magicians, tongas.

The finale was reserved for India's one true international celebrity: A R Rahman. As the magician belted out the CWG theme song, the aerostat came alive in a bluster of colour and graphics. Fireworks shot out furiously, signalling that it was time for the spaceship to go. It was time for Jai Ho!

TOI