The seven year old Drummer Boy said it all. This was India’s future. The confidence, the rhythm of youth and the wonder of life. The unbridled enthusiasm of a young country desperate to put its best foot forward.
Permit me the self-indulgence of an expatriate Indian. I have been critical of the inept politicians and corrupt businessmen. I have been dismayed at the self-interest of compromised civil servants.
This was all forgotten the moment Manmohan Singh, India’s scrupulously clean Prime Minister, made his entrance. It was forgotten from the moment Prince Charles declared the 2010 Commonwealth Games open.
Charles has been maligned, sometimes unfairly, for being irrelevant. But his presence at Delhi signified the importance of the new India and the new England. No longer the ruler and the ruled. But equals in this sometimes unequal world.
The drums were followed by India’s own Pavarotti both welcoming and bidding goodbye.
The painting of colours, “mehndi”, was a reaffirmation of weddings and celebrations of significant events. This was India’s “NAMASTE” to the world.
The first contingent out was Australia, led by Sharelle McMahon, the captain of the netball Diamonds. The discomfort of their digs long forgotten. Replaced instead by the breathtaking pageantry that is India.
There are many reasons why these games are relevant and not the least being the 63 million dollars that Australian companies shared in from construction and services contracts.
The Commonwealth Games may well be the poor man’s Olympics and it is fitting that India is hosting these games. India has a large proportion of the world’s poor and it is significant that it can host Games of this scale. It will give hope to countries like Rwanda who are debuting in these games.
One of the biggest cheers was for Pakistan. The Indian and Pakistani people are a lot closer than their politicians would have them think. The only two sold out events are the hockey matches featuring India and Pakistan and India and Australia.
And what of countries like Sierra Leone, Seychelles and the Solomon Islands? After Melbourne 2006 two thirds of the Sierra Leone team applied for political asylum in Australia. There are countries in this world not as fortunate as ours.
Nigeria’s team was led by its disabled athletes; many of them in wheelchairs. This was for me a poignant moment showing the healing and empowering nature of sport.
These Games gave the 71 participating countries to come together in a common cauldron. A veritable melting pot of different cultures and disparate economies.
In a world where politicians talk of free trade and erect protection barriers in the same breath this was an opportunity to suspend cynicism and embrace fraternity.
India’s first woman President, Pratibha Patil, also declared the Games open in both Hindi and in English and hoped the athletes would do their respective countries proud.
The Indian Military band carried in the Games flag and the Defence Forces Band “cymbalised” the discipline of sport.
The purity of the sporting endeavour was further highlighted by the “Guru” and his “disciple”. The coach and the protégé. The teacher and the student. This was as traditional as one can get and is one of the significant beauties of India’s culture. The bond between the athlete and the administrator.
Sadly, this is neglected in the pursuit of money. And trampled in the mantra of “professionalism”.
India is nuclear reactors and traditional classical dancing. It is colour and contrast. It is the land of the Buddha and the fountain of yoga.
It is meditation and medicine. It is flexibility and finance. Ultimately it is a lesson in humanity.
The Opening Ceremony is a must for those that missed it. It is about the colour and sounds of India. It is about the old and the new. It is a chance for Indians to reconnect and for the world to enter and discover. It may not be perfect but it is always vital.
It was reminder that India can be great. It is incredible and it is not closed to the world. In fact the Australian connection was evident in the sound systems; the fireworks at the end and during the games will be evident in the swimming pool and the various indoor stadia.
In the end, I was reminded how beautiful the Indian women are. India has had its fair share of Miss Universe’s and Miss World’s. Every contingent was led out by a young lady as resplendent and evocative as what Keats wrote in his Grecian Urn: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all, Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Betty b, I admire any athlete from India that makes it to the world stage because of the red tape and croneyism they have to go through. And training with the barest of facilities,with inadequate diet and coaching makes it all the more meritoious.Some of them have to walk twenty kilometers just to get to training. For them the athlete's village would be a six star hotel. And the canteen would be a chance to eat three meals a day. I get a bit annoyed when posters criticise the relevance of these games.
Betty b
Guest
Could not agree more Vinay. A lot of people - you can tell from what the Aust commentators say, let alone the audience - are experiencing something of India for the first time. And they're loving it. Cultural diversity for the games aside (and that diversity is a must), I'm really enjoying seeing some of the smaller countries like Malaysia and Singapore build up their sporting prowess through these games. They don't get the opportunity at big meets like the Olympics, and It's just so great to see them advancing through heats or winning events like weight lifting. I haven't seen any statictics, but my strong impression is that a number of smaller sporting nations (for whom this is the major meet) are steadily improving their standing on the world sports stage through the Commonwealth games. Heck - even the NZ swimmers are getting better. And I think we should congratulate India for putting on a fine meet.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Vinay, I enjoyed your story and posted a comment early in the morning. Somehow it was lost in the cyberspace!! You have drawn a very nice picture of contrasting India, incredible India.
Tortion
Guest
The excitement on that Nigerian girls face when she won the first gold says it all for me.
shahsan
Guest
Sheek, i agree with that. I am not denigrating the competitors in any way and will watch many of the events. But I only made the point that there are only two events you could call world class in the sense that they are in effect de facto world championshisp ie there are no teams in those events that you coudl add to make it better. The rest will have some world-class individuals/teams competing in not-so-world-class fields. That's all.
sheek
Guest
Shahsan, As mentioned above by myself & others, the Commonwealth Games is not merely about having the best athletes/countries competing. It's also about providing an opportunity for lesser athletes & countries to compete on a reasonably large stage. There are even Aussie athletes who won't be good enough to compete at the Olympics, or are unable to (eg, Netball, Lawn bowls). It isn't about, nor should it be, simply about winning.....
jameswm
Guest
Sorry - this was a reply to shahsan At the Commonwealth Games - you have the best sprinting country in the world right now (Jamaica) and the best distance running nation (Kenya), even if their superstars aren't there. Oh to have seen David Rudisha run (broke the 800 WR twice this year). There is neither of the 2nd best of either (USA in sprints and Ethipia in distance) but there are some other good running nations - the Poms, South Africa, other Caribbean nations in the sprints etc. Of our athletes, I haven't yet worked out who I'm most looking forward to watching. The women's 100 hurdles should be a cracker with the two best in the world there (one an Aussie). Shame Ryan Gregson won't be there running the 1500.
shahsan
Guest
Yes that is true, but that was never in dispute. the Commnwealth produces good sportsmen in every sport. But the level of competition will not be as high as they could otherwise be, except for those two sports cited. that was my point.
Mister Football
Guest
No - but the Commonwealth countries produce good hockey teams and runners, that was more the point.
shahsan
Guest
Hockey without Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Korea? Athletics without USA, Russia, Germany? Yes, they'll still be watchable and will be good sport but not really de facto world championship events.
Mister Football
Guest
7s, netball, and you can add hockey. Athletics ain't too bad, especially for the running events. The rest is a bit ho hum.
jameswm
Guest
I'm afraid there are only 3 sports I'll be watching - swimming (and to an extent because we're so good at it), plus rugby and athletics because I love them both.
sheek
Guest
Vinay, I actually think socialism works very well in sport. And secretly, we're all advocates of it. Or most of us. it's interesting that in the states, the land of free enterprise & mass marketing & materialism, they actually practice socialism of sorts across their 4 major professional sports of baseball, American football, basketball & ice hockey.
shahsan
Guest
Yes, the 7s along with netball are the only two sports at the CG that could be seen as de facto world championships, so am certainly looking forward to that.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
True Tah,about a month ago The Commonwealth Games people did go to the BCCI(The Indian Cricket Board) and asked them for a loan for about 50 million dollars. They were politely told to hike it. They also asked them to reschedule the cricket but here again the answer was no. The only person that can tell the BCCI to toe the line is Sonia Gandhi and she should have stepped in. Theres lots of hungry Jats( North Indians with good physique) who would take to Rugby..it would be a way out of the poverty. They need help from the AIS.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
shahsan,sport has never been a part of the culture in India. Even now the corporates see it more as a vehicle to flog their goods and build brands. The Sports Ministry in india is peopled by politicians who don't care about the values of sport. However there is a move to set up a panel of independent experts,including sportsmen and journalists,to develop a National Sports agenda. More academies and playing fields. It is a scandal that India has only 30 odd International standard astro turf pitches for hockey. This is a national sport that has been decimated by political apathy. Sport cannot be run by politicians.
True Tah
Guest
Vinay am looking forward to seeing the Rugby 7s at Delhi University. Nice article about the Indian side in last weeks SMH, reminder of guys being proud to represent their country. Who knows, Indians might take a liking to rugby, although I doubt it. The Commonwealth Games cops a lot from those who think it is meaningless. Maybe we Australians would rather compete with the Chinese, Yanks, Russians at the Olympics. But a nation like India this could be a stepping stone for bigger things, potentially Delhi could host the Olympic Games one day. Although I think the test series with the Australians could have been scheduled as to not conflict with the Games.
shahsan
Guest
The Commonwealth Games may be small beer and meaningless to sportsmen, and especially sports fans, of the larger, richer countries, but for the smaller nations it is still a big deal in many ways. It gives them a level of competition they wouldnt get in their backyard alone, and on a stage without the overwhelming presence of the really big guns. And there is something to be said about a shared history. So dont knock the Games!
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
sheek,the Student Games is another which gets no publicity. But this is where Nike and Addidas prey like sharks hoping to sign a superstar. There is just too much money in sport shared among a very few. And these few would not get to the top if not for the other teammates or support staff. I am not advocating socialism but a more level playing field.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Brett,it is events like this that help dispell the stereotypical images we have. Sometimes politicians encourage hate so their own power base is not eroded. I look at young kids striving to excel and see the joy in their achievements and then see a disabled athlete strain his sinews...it puts everything into perspective and humanity comes to the fore. We all try so hard to be bastards when it is so much easier to be good.