2010 Commonwealth Games

Preparation and development

Venues

The sporting events were held across 12 venues.

• CRPF Shooting Range: Shooting
• Delhi University Stadium: Rugby Sevens
• Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range: Shooting
• Dr. S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Stadium: Aquatics
• Indira Gandhi Sports Complex: Cycling, Gymnastics, Wrestling
• Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium: Athletics, Lawn Bowls, Weightlifting
• Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium: Field hockey
• R. K. Khanna Tennis Complex: Tennis
• Siri Fort Sports Complex: Badminton, Squash
• Talkatora Indoor Stadium: Boxing
• Thyagaraj Sports Complex: Netball
• Yamuna Sports Complex: Archery, Table Tennis

Five venues–Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, the Siri Fort Sports Complex, the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, the Yamuna Sports Complex, and the Delhi University Stadium, were newly constructed for the Games. The Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium underwent major renovations or an uplift. The largest venue was the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, with a capacity of 60,000, was the main venue of the event, hosting both the opening and the closing ceremonies.

Twenty training venues were used for the Games, of which one was used for archery; three for aquatics; two for lawn bowls; two for netball; eight for rugby sevens; two for shooting; one for squash; two for table tennis; one for weightlifting, three for wrestling, and two for tennis.

Non-sporting venues

The New Delhi Municipal Council building served as the headquarters of the Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee. The Commonwealth Games Village provided accommodation and training for athletes of the Games. It was spread over an area of 63.5 ha (157 acres), along the east bank of the Yamuna River. It consisted of five zones—the Residential Zone, the International Zone, the Training Area, the Main Dining, and the Operational Zone, and was accessible to para-sport athletes as well. Athletes and accompanying delegates were provided free food and accommodation at the Games Village.

Budget

The initial budget for hosting the Games as estimated by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in 2003 was ₹16.2 billion (US$170 million). However, the total budget escalated to an estimated ₹115 billion (US$1.2 billion), which excluded non-sports-related infrastructure development. The overall cost of hosting the Games was estimated to be ₹700 billion (US$7.3 billion), making it the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever.

Infrastructure and facilities

The organisers signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Environment Programme to launch the "Green Games" initiative, aimed at adopting environmentally sustainable practices and reducing the carbon footprint during the Games.

A four-lane, 5 km (3.1 mi)-long elevated road, from Lodhi Road to Sarai Kale Khan, linking the Games Village to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, was constructed, to reduce the travel time between the venues from the usual 40 minutes to six minutes. The Government of India spent over ₹160 billion (US$1.7 billion) for upgrading public infrastructure in Delhi. This included the construction of new bridges, flyovers, and underpasses, widening and relaying arterial roads, installation of new traffic signs and bus shelters, and beautifying public areas. Dedicated lanes were introduced on selected highways to facilitate faster movement between the sporting venues and the Games village.

Over 3,500 new low-floor buses were introduced by the Delhi Transport Corporation to cater to the transport requirements of the athletes and spectators. Athletes and delegated were provided free transport to and from the sporting venues, and a free sightseeing trip to the Taj Mahal. The Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation launched India's first Hop-On Hop-Off bus service (HOHO Delhi), which were equipped with digital video screens, and trained guides for providing information to the tourists. Radio Frequency Identification was used to tag vehicles in parking lots at the sporting venues to help organise mass parking and increase security.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation completed the second phase of the Delhi Metro, extending to 125 km (78 mi), ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The Indira Gandhi International Airport was modernised, and expanded. A new terminal, spread over 500,000 ft² (46,000 m²), was constructed at a cost of $2 billion, and was capable of handling 34 million passengers per annum. A third runway had been added in 2008, which enabled the airport to operate more than 70 flights an hour.

In preparation for the expected influx of English-speaking tourists for the Games, the Government of Delhi implemented a program to teach English for cab drivers, security workers, waiters, porters, and other service staff. To cater to the power requirements, the government increased the power generation capacity, and upgraded the power infrastructure and power distribution networks. A large-scale construction and beautification project was undertaken, that resulted in the demolition of hundreds of temporary homes and shelters. Bamboo screens were erected around city's slums to hide them from the sights of the visitors. Beggars were relocated from the city's streets, and the Delhi High Court set up mobile courts that determined whether each beggar was to be sent back to his/her state of residence, or be permitted to remain in government-shelters.

Queen's baton relay

The Queen's Baton Relay was inaugurated at the Buckingham Palace on 29 October 2009. The baton, containing a message from Elizabeth II to the athletes, visited 69 Commonwealth nations before reaching India. It arrived in India on 25 June 2010 through the Wagah Border crossing from Pakistan. The baton was designed by Foley Design studio and was created by Titan in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited. The 664 mm (26.1 in)-high baton weighed 1.9 kg (4.2 lb), and consisted of a triangular section of aluminium twisted into a helix shape and then coated with soils collected from various regions of India. A jewel-encrusted box was used to house the Queen's message, which was laser-engraved onto a 18 carat gold leaf. The baton was illuminated by several LEDs, capable of producing various illuminated designs.

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event. It began at 19:00 IST on 3 October. The opening ceremony was directed by Bharat Bala. It featured over 8,000 performers, and lasted for two-and-a-half hours. It was estimated to have costed ₹3.5 billion (equivalent to ₹8.6 billion or US$89 million in 2026).

The ceremony was divided into six separate segments, each showcasing the diverse cultures of India. The countdown took place on the large screen in the stadium, and was accompanied by fireworks. The centerpiece of the ceremony was the helium aerostat, which acted as a giant 360° screen for spectators. It began with a showcase of a variety of drummers from all parts of India, accompanied by seven-year-old tabla player. The ceremony showcased a fusion of various classical dances from all parts of India, mehendi decorations, sand paintings, and yoga. The title song was performed by A. R. Rahman, and singer Hariharan sang the welcome song for the Games, titled "Swagatam", along with thousands of school children.

Charles III, the Prince of Wales (representing Elizabeth II as the Head of the Commonwealth) and Pratibha Patil, the President of India, officially declared the Games open. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, and three heads of state–Mohamed Nasheed, the President of the Maldives, Marcus Stephen, the President of Nauru, Albert II, the Prince of Monaco, and Anand Satyanand, the Governor General of New Zealand, attended the ceremony.

Closing ceremony

The closing ceremony was held on 14 October 2014 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and featured Indian and Scottish performers. The Commonwealth Games flag was handed over to representatives of Glasgow, Scotland, which was to host the XX Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Participating teams

There were 71 participating Commonwealth Games Associations at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. As Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth, it was banned from participating in the Games. Rwanda fielded a team in the Commonwealth Games for the first time, after becoming a Commonwealth member in 2009.

Note: The numbers of athletes from each participating association is shown in brackets.

Sports

There were 272 medal events in 21 disciplines across 17 sports in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

• Aquatics ()
  • Diving ()
  • Swimming ()
  • Synchronised swimming ()
• Archery (8) ()
• Athletics (46) ()
• Badminton (6) ()
• Boxing (10) ()
• Cycling ()
  • Road
  • Track
• Gymnastics ()
  • Artistic gymnastics
  • Rhythmic gymnastics
• Field hockey (2) ()
• Lawn bowls (6) ()
• Netball (1) ()
• Rugby sevens (1) ()
• Shooting (44) ()
• Squash (5) ()
• Table tennis (7) ()
• Tennis (5) ()
• Weightlifting (15) ()
• Wrestling (21) ()

Kabaddi was a demonstration sport at the Games. Triathlon was excluded from the Games as there was no suitable location to conduct the swimming stage of the competition. Basketball was excluded, while archery, tennis, and wrestling, which were not contested in the 2006 Commonwealth Games, made a comeback. Despite popular demand, Cricket was not included, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India were not keen on a Twenty20 tournament, and the Games organisers did not want a one day tournament.

Calendar

Medal table

Note: Only the top ten entries are listed.

* Host nation (India)

Podium sweeps

Broadcasting

Broadcast activities in India was provided by Prasar Bharati, in association with the production house, SIS Live.

In New Zealand, the rights were first won by TVNZ. In September 2009, it was reported that TVNZ were seeking to offload the rights to SKY TV to avoid a NZ$5 million loss in the event, and the deal was confirmed in January 2010, backed by the country's government. Although Sky is a pay television broadcaster, they still promised that the coverage would be broadcast free-to-air.

Marketing

Logo and mascot

The official mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games was Shera, an anthropomorphised tiger. The name comes from the Hindi word "Sher", colloquially used to represent the tiger. As per the organizing committee, tiger is associated with Shakti, the universal power, in Hindu mythology and the mascot represented the values of majesty, power, charisma, intelligence and grace.

The logo of the 2010 Commonwealth Games consists is derived from the image of the Ashoka Chakra, India's national symbol, which denotes freedom, unity, power and progress. There are several silhouettes of the figures spiralling upwards from the Chakra, which represented the growth of India into a vibrant nation and the motto of the Games. The logo used six colours–green, red, yellow, blue, purple, and pink. As per the organizing committee, green represented life, energy, high spirits, the designation of the 2010 games as a green games, and determination in overcoming challenges, purple represented reassurance, mystery, and excitement, red represented unity, yellow represents destiny, blue represented equality, and pink represented luxury, and surprise. The logo was designed by Idiom Design and Consulting.

The tagline of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was "Come out and play". As per the organizing committee, it was chosen as an invitation to the athletes from the Commonwealth member countries to participate in the games and to call the Indian people to support their country's hosting of the games.

Sponsors

Indian Railways served as the lead partner for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Central Bank of India, Air India, and NTPC Limited served as the official banking, airline, and power partners for the Games respectively. Hero Honda signed on as the official motorcycle partner and the presenting partner of the Queen's Baton Relay. Tata Motors served as the transport partner for the Queen's Baton Relay. Swiss watchmaker Tissot was the official timekeeper of the Games. Other partners included Coca-Cola, Amity University, Reebok, and Agility Logistics.

Official song

The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto, composed and performed by A. R. Rahman, was released on 28 August 2010. However, as the 4:16 minute song received poor response from the public, a shorter version, running for half of the original time, was released in September 2010.

Concerns and controversies

Concerns were raised over the preparations for the Games due to delay in construction of the main Games' venues. In mid-2009, an India government report cited critical delays in the works being carried out and that two-thirds of the sporting venues were not ready. CGF president Mike Fennell stated that the slow progress of preparations represented a serious risk to the event. Randhir Singh, the secretary-general of the IOA, agreed that there were delays, and the various committees formed to look into the various aspects of the preparations for the Games, were not functioning efficiently. He called for the reconstitution of the committees, and expressed confidence that the work will be completed in time for the Games.

In the lead up to the Games, an estimated 100,000 people were displaced from their homes, as many of them were demolished, in a beautification drive carried out by the authorities. There were protests against the ecological impact of the Games including felling of trees. A public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court of India against the felling of 'heritage' trees in the Siri Fort area to make way for Games facilities. The court appointed architect Charles Correa to assess the impact, and he severely criticised the designs on ecological grounds. However, in April 2009, the Supreme Court allowed the construction to continue on the grounds that time had already been lost and irreversible damage had already been done. While the ineffectiveness and incompetence of Suresh Kalmadi, the head of the Games Organizing Committee, and his aide, Lalit Bhanot, was cited by various media, some sections of the media were accused of bias, unfair expectations, and negative reporting on the Games.

The Commonwealth Games village was located on the flood plains of the Yamuna River, and concerns were raised regarding the flouting of ecological norms. After a legal battle, in July 2009, the Supreme Court allowed the construction to continue, and held that the government had satisfied the requirements of law as it had issued public notice of its intention to begin construction work in September 1999 itself. There were concerns on the likelihood of rains during the Games, infrastructural compromise, and poor living conditions at the Games Village. There was also concerns of a possibility of a terrorist attack during the closing ceremony of the Games. There was extensive cost overrun, and possible compromise of infrastructure due to corruption by officials of the Games' Organising Committee.

After the conclusion of the Games, the Indian government announced the formation of a special committee to probe into the allegations of corruption and mismanagement against the Organising Committee, in addition to separate investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate, and Central Vigilance Commission, that were already underway. The committee was to submit its report within the next three months.

Legacy

The opening ceremony was acclaimed and improved the image of the Games. The President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, said that India had made a good foundation for a future Olympics bid, which was reiterated by the Australian Minister of Sports. The CGF chief Mike Fennell stated that Delhi delivered a "fantastic Games". A day after the closing ceremony, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond stated that, "Scotland is highly impressed with Delhi's success in holding the multi-sport event, Delhi hosted a very successful Commonwealth Games. It will be a challenge to emulate". While in the build up to the Games, it had several negative notions surrounding them, Australian Olympic Committee remarked that, while it was initially apprehensive, the athletes had an exceptional experience and the Games had a largely positive ending.

Gordon Farquhar, writing for BBC Sport, believed that, while India had developed world-class sporting infrastructure at Delhi for hosting the Commonwealth Games, and Indian athletes achieved several records during the Games, it was up to the Indian government to support building a sporting culture beyond cricket, given that India had only won its first ever individual Olympic gold medal at the 2008 games despite having the world's second-largest population. Sebastian Coe, former Olympic gold medalist and the chairman of the 2012 Summer Olympics Organising Committee, who was at the stadium during the 4 × 400 metre women's relay, which was won by India, described the audience's cheers for the racers as "potentially the moment that could change the course of athletics in Asia, the moment that could inspire thousands of people who'd never even seen an athletics track before to get involved".