Gearing for Commonwealth Games 2010? The 19th edition of this august event has been scheduled at Delhi this time and the magic is going to be infectious. The capital city of India has taken well to the baton and the event is well awaited. Delhi is all set to get a new and organised look. Red and green carpets are being sprawled across the country’s admired sports grounds. Enthusiasts are booking flights and hotels with fervour. All for an exciting 2010. Delhi is a city that never sleeps. And it has another reason to be up all of 2010 as the host of the Commonwealth Games in the tenth year of this millennium. Asia has had this privileged only once before this in 1998 when the games were held in Kuala Lumpur. Delhi succeeded in attaining the rights to host the 2010 Games by beating the Canadian city of Hamilton by 46 votes to 22 votes at the CGF General Assembly held in Montego Bay in November 2003. Scheduled to commence on 3 October 2010 with an opening ceremony, the Commonwealth Games 2010 will continue until 14 October. India’s capital city has developed the Delhi Games Village for this event. The village is a low rise development on a 40-acre site. This place will be the venue for the grand opening with a potential capacity for 8,500 athletes and officials. The setting will accommodate all types of games. Commonwealth Games include Archery, Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling that will be held at different venues across the city. The Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi is equally abuzz with activity. The airport is getting a facelift and Air India has become the first Official Partner Airline for the Commonwealth Games. This makes Air India the first global and Indian sponsor company for the games. Special flights are being planned and hotel accommodations are being refurbished across the city to welcome guests visiting the Commonwealth Games.

Organised by The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the Commonwealth Games is a united involvement of independent sovereign states. Spread all over Africa, Asia, the Pacific shores, and the Caribbean, the Commonwealth states make 30% of the world’s population with varied faiths. Members of the Commonwealth therefore hail from dissimilar races, following different languages, cultures and traditions. Scheduled every four years, the Commonwealth Games are intended to perk up the social and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth states. The Commonwealth is based on three core values of ‘humanity’, ‘equality’ and ‘destiny’ to encourage and bring together millions of people and stand for the extensive mandate of the CGF within the Commonwealth.more here

The delegates of the Commonwealth General Assembly recently visited Delhi to take a scrutinising stroll around the city. The idea was to get a stock of preparations in the capital city for the Games. Delightfully, the delegates left satisfied, of course, with a note of suggestions for that little scope of improvement. With fast-moving lanes lined with trees and fencing, the trip to Delhi was a pleasing experience for the team. The Games Village got a thorough thumbs-up. The other venues and structures were also appreciated and received a go-ahead signal from the delegates. The delegates bid goodbye with an optimistic note, looking forward to CWG 2010 at New Delhi. The other venues and structures were also appreciated . more here

Upon their commencement in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, the Commonwealth Games were attended by 400 sportspersons from 11 different countries. There were six sports and 59 field events organised at the event then. Earlier, these games were commonly known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950. But soon after, the name was re-coined to British Empire and Commonwealth Games and remained so from 1954 until 1966. Shortly, the title of games was again modified in 1970 to become British Commonwealth Games and was called so until 1974. It was only in Edmonton in 1978 when the tournament saw this distinctive, outstanding, multi-sports event change its name to the Commonwealth Games, as it is called presently.