Commonwealth Games Part II – the good & the great

Last week I discussed the good, the bad & the ugly of my 2010 Commonwealth Games experience. This week was a 180 degree turnaround. I attended diving, field hockey, athletics and the closing ceremonies. In addition, I had the treat of going on a private tour of the Athletes Village which culminated in an entertaining concert by Punjabi musician, Daler Mehendi. It was truly one of the best spectator sports weeks I’ve ever had AND one of the best cultural weeks I’ve ever had. I genuinely believe that whether you are a fan of sports or not, watching sporting events in the countries you travel to provide an entertaining and interesting look at the culture of that specific area.

This week I will focus on the positives of my 2010 Commonwealth Games experience with the Good & the Great.

The Good

1. Getting into Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in 15 minutes for athletics opposed to the 45 minutes it took to get into the opening ceremonies last week

2. Watching the Indian 4×100 men’s relay team get first place in their heat; never thought Indians were that fast

3. The Sunday morning walk through the beautiful Talkatora Gardens to get to the Aquatics stadium

4. Watching the Australian men’s field hockey team salute the Indian fans after their match against Malaysia

5. Avoiding Fast Trax chicken burgers the entire week which meant avoiding stomach pain and too many trips to the bathroom

6. Realizing that our seats for the closing ceremonies were in the 3rd row and that food and drinks were free

The Great

1. The passion of the fans, the electric atmosphere and the result of the India v Pakistan men’s field hockey match

2. Knowing that I was one of 15K people at a major event in Indian sports history

3. The hospitality of a new friend who took me around the Athletes Village to get a behind the scenes look at how the athletes and officials live during the games

4. Dancing Bhangra with the CWG athletes and volunteers during a live concert at the Games Village

5. Entering Jawaharlal Nehru stadium just in time to see India win gold, silver and bronze in women’s discuss

6. The CWG volunteers and their energy throughout the entire closing ceremonies; a perfect example of the beauty of volunteering

So the Commonwealth Games have come and gone. I’m sad they are finished, however it will be nice to get on a regular living and sleeping schedule again. In the end, the whole experience was a clear reflection on my life in India this past year: a non-stop spin cycle that has tossed me around in many directions and spit me out a stronger, more fulfilled person.

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