Thursday’s dazzling ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that brought the curtains down on the 19th Commonwealth Games was an apt celebration of a nightmare gone right. In the weeks before the Games were to begin, the trickle of bad news gradually turned into a flood and by the time of the opening ceremony, expectations were at rock bottom, That the country — and more specifically the city of Delhi — was able to pick itself up from there and go on to host a successful event is in itself an achievement to celebrate. Looking back at it from the distance 24 hours provides, there is already a sense that to go over the top over Delhi 2010 too would not provide for a fair or accurate assessment of the event as a whole. Nor should the happy ending — India finished second on the overall medals table to record their best-ever performance at the Commonwealth Games — be allowed to overshadow examination of and action against the reasons and persons responsible for the mess that had developed around practically every aspect of the event. Projects not only over-ran budgets, but also timelines. Infrastructure essential for the Games stood incomplete, and in some cases remained so. Contracts were delayed till the very last minute, leading to logistics nightmares. Yet come D-Day a minor miracle and lots of very hard work behind the scenes made sure that India, and Delhi, would be ready.
Once the Games themselves got under way, the serial victories of the nation’s teams in different disciplines helped create a momentum all of their own and in the end, with India finishing in second place on the medals table, it made for a story that just got better and better as the days ticked away. And behind the growing pile of medals Team India garnered day after day was another tale, of dedication, professionalism and devotion to duty, that in their own way made Delhi 2010 a truly memorable memory. The very public face of safety and security for the city were the thousands of policemen and women, the military and paramilitary units that moved into place well in advance and thereafter functioned like clockwork with impeccable planning and precision, so much so that the head of Interpol was moved to remarking that this had been a security and police operation of the highest order. There was the volunteer force, often caught out of their depth by fast-changing situations and unplanned for emergencies, but always resolute and willing, and the transport personnel. The list is a very long one. Most of all there was the Delhiite, who put up with months — if not years — of disruptions, of clogged traffic lanes, of intrusive but necessary security, of transport arrangements thrown out of gear or done away with completely. They bore it all, and having done that, came out in ever-increasing numbers as India’s medal rush just grew and grew. Even the hardships imposed by restrictive travel arrangements, stifling security and a non-functional ticketing system proved to be no deterrent for a public that roared, whistled and cheered their athletes on day after day. For those used to the happy chaos of the capital’s roads, the ease with lane discipline was followed came as an eye-opener, and with very few exceptions. Long jams became a daily feature, and the citizenry coped with the sight of CWG vehicles coasting past their stalled vehicles with astonishing fortitude. Small wonder therefore, that if there was to have been a 39th gold medal in addition to the 38 won by our sports women and men, it should and would have gone to Delhi — and its teeming, discommoded population — itself.