CWG: Chance for India to put their best foot forward

Pre-event flow of muck notwithstanding,India can make this a Commonwealth Games to remember and savour

Pre-event flow of muck notwithstanding,India can make this a Commonwealth Games to remember and savour

Seven years ago, when the white-knuckled Indian contingent to Jamaicau00a0 beat back the powerful Canadian bid for the Commonwealth Games, little did we realise what mayhem would be unleashed on the nation as D-Day approached.

A welter of allegations, accusations, recriminations, lurid footage of toilets/drains and tearing of the hair sent TRPs soaring and anchors looking to squeeze every ounce of juice out of an unexpectedly juicy situation.

But on October 3, when the Games start, it seems that the country is not just heaving a collective sigh of relief, but actually harbouring a cautious expectation that this might, just might, be a memorable event for all the right reasons.

As things starting limping back to whatever normality could be expected in the circumstances, much good news is emerging.

No less than World, Olympic and Commonwealth pole vault champion Steve Hooker said he is trying to figure out the logic of some athletes pulling out of the Games.

He is impressed with the facilities at the Games village, the food, the way all the athletes are made to feel special. With a record total of 6700 athletes to be looked after, that is saying something.

Paralympic champion Danielle Brown said that her experience in Delhi has been far better that what she has faced in other parts of the world Superb The facilities, certainly for some of the events, are admittedly superb.

Squash coach Cyrus Poncha confirmed that the squash facilities are top drawer, while Commonwealth gold medallist shooting champion Moraad Ali Khan told me that the Dr Karni Singh shooting range, re-constructed with state-of-the-art technology, is world class in terms of design and equipment.

The much awaited opening ceremony, with tickets priced at Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000, Rs 5000 and Rs 1000, are sold out and expectations are high that the closing ceremony will be the same.

The bottom line is, no one wants scams, corruption and other assorted evils to go unaddressed and
unpunished.