On the Scene in Delhi -- Commonwealth Games Close With Confidence

(ATR) Delhi 2010 is over just weeks after talk that these Commonwealth Games would never begin.

The curtain fell Thursday evening at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with a celebratory pageant to close the 12-day competition.

The chairman of the organizing committee was booed when he spoke at the closing ceremony.

But Suresh Kalmadi attracted cheers when he emphasized the Indian team’s best-ever 101-medal performance, including 38 golds.

The scheduled two-hour affair went almost an hour overtime as a laser light show, fireworks and concert by Indian pop stars offered a climax.

The 71-nation, 6,000-athlete event concluded with ancient martial arts, a mass military pipe, drum and brass band, 2,010 schoolchildren dancing and the last appearance by the Tiger mascot Shera in an auto rickshaw.

Athletes informally paraded into the stadium, but weren’t invited to take center stage until after the broadcast ended.

"The organization of these games has been characterized by many challenges," Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell told the 60,000 spectators.

"The organizing committee has successfully overcome those obstacles and delivered a truly outstanding event.
Delhi, you have delivered a truly exceptional Games and above all a wonderful experience for us all. Thank-you Delhi."


Dignitaries included Italian-born Indian politician Sonia Gandhi, Indian PM Manmohan Singh, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Lt. Gov. of Delhi Tejinder Khanna, Lord Provost of Glasgow Robert Winter and Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin.

Prince Edward formally closed the Games and invited the Commonwealth to reassemble in Glasgow.

Go Glasgow 2014

The eight-minute handover segment from Delhi to Glasgow was produced by Catherine Ugwu, senior producer of Vancouver’s ceremonies earlier this year.

Creative director was Mark Fisher, known for his work on stadium tours by the Rolling Stones and U2. Fisher is executive producer of design for London 2012’s ceremonies.

The preview of the next Games host included bagpipers in kilts and an inflatable representation of the landmark Glasgow auditorium shaped like an armadillo which transformed into the Loch Ness monster.

The Glasgow Games run July 23-Aug. 3, 2014.

Fennell: Critical Coverage Deserves Praise, Not Blame

The critical international and domestic media coverage played an important role in making sure Delhi 2010 happened, Fennell says.

"I don’t blame the media for exposing what had to be exposed," he said Thursday.

"When things were exposed in the media they helped us to get action in certain areas and I say this very sincerely."

Fennell said the troubles with the Games Village were eventually fixed with help from the Delhi and Indian governments and Commonwealth Games Associations. He called the success a team effort.

"We were able to mobilize the corrective actions," he said.

TheGames were criticized for ticketing glitches at several venues that were mostly empty. The level of security kept people away from the marathon and road cycling events.

"We were disappointed in the early days, a lot of the stands were empty," Fennell said. "Delhi has not experienced a lot of sports represented."

The Games went on as scheduled, and all events were completed. Asked whether that would help rescue India’s image, which was tarnished by the dire September headlines in global media, Fennell said that’s "for people to decide."

"Even on my arrival, when people asked if the Games would be cancelled, Isaid our job is to fix what is wrong, not to give up," he said.

"A year ago when I announced there were some concerns, I was asked, ‘What is plan B?’ and I said our plan B is Delhi, and Delhi has performed."

Medal Accessories

The flowers that medal winners at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics got were imported from Ecuador.

Delhi 2010 gave something to medalists that won’t wilt.

Hand-woven stoles with a silk wrap and cotton weave are known traditionally as angavastrams and are made in Chanderi, Madya Pradesh.

Some 1,375 were made for medal winners and feature the Games chakra logo and the tiger mascot Shera with red, blue, green, purple and gold stripes.

They retailed for $11, but the Games Village was among the only places to find them.

The hottest souvenir was the Shera tiger stuffed doll. Only 25,000 of the $7 toys were made, and supplies were nearly exhausted.

Animals Here and There

Delhi is a big city and a veritable zoo.

The main press center enjoyed visits from pigeons while crickets chirped during news conferences.

Dogs sunbathed outside, and hawks circled above venues where human hand-sized moths were attracted by floodlights.

There were even guardian monkeys on leashes at the athletes’ village where snakes that slithered in from the nearby Yamuna River had been removed and relocated.

Reported on the scene in Delhi by Bob Mackin.