Commonwealth Games 2018: The Quadrennial Sporting Festival Begins To Commonwealth Games 2018: The Quadrennial Sporting Festival Begins Today
Setting aside the controversy, the jumbo Indian contingent would be aiming to make it all good with strong medal-winning performances when the acutely-low-on-buzz Commonwealth Games start today with an opening ceremony at Gold Coast.
It’s just hours left before the Games officially get started but Gold Coast hardly looked like a city gearing up for a sporting festival. This year’s games will also mark the 5th time that Australia has hosted the games.
There are signboards all across welcoming 71 Commonwealth countries for the 21st CWG but what’s missing is the festive spirit that usually comes with such a once-in-four-years extravaganzas.
The organisers, including Queensland Minister for CWG Kate Johns, were busy making last-minute appeals to the city—aptly called the ‘surfers’ paradise’ for its breathtakingly beautiful coastline—to buy the several thousand tickets that are still unsold across different sports.
“Go out and buy tickets, it’s a one in a lifetime experience. Don’t miss this opportunity,” said Games organising committee CEO Mark Peters.
Indian contingent is unlikely to let anything come in the way of a strong showing at the Games, where have a decent record to boast of. At the previous edition in Glasgow the Indian medal tally stood at 64 with 15 gold, 30 silver and 19 bronze and the 225-strong contingent would be expected to either better it or ensure that the final count hovers close to the previous haul.
India has won a total of 438 medals. At the 2010 edition in New Delhi — the country’s most successful campaign — India finished second with a staggering 101 medals. India is still in a transition phase when it comes to sport. There is immense talent in the country but still, there is some way to go in terms of turning that raw talent into more defined performances at an international stage.
The major burden of expectations would once again be on shooters, boxers, shuttlers and wrestlers—all of whom have been in good form going into the Games. The two hockey teams would also be expected to at least be on the podium if not on top.
The likes of P V Sindhu, Jitu Rai, Saina Nehwal, M C Mary Kom, Sushil Kumar and Vinesh Phogat are being considered medal certainties.
The dark horses would include the gymnasts and the table tennis players, who might just throw up a few surprises to finish among the medals.
The Games will have its fair share of international stars in the likes of Jamaican sprinter Yohann Blake, world champion hurdler Sally Pearson, British diver Tom Daley and India’s very own Mary Kom and South Africa’s Caster Semenya among others. But it remains to be seen whether Gold Coast is in a mood to be dazzled by them.
“You want all the tickets to be sold out but I am confident that 95 per cent of the tickets will be sold by the time the Games begin. Overall 1.2 million tickets have been sold across all sports and the two ceremonies,” said Peters.
The competitions will get underway from April 5 after a strictly-under-wraps opening ceremony today evening. India can hope for their first medal on the first day of competitions itself when world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu presents her challenge in the 48kg category.
On the same day, shuttlers, boxers and table tennis players will also kick off their campaigns.
The relevance and the appropriateness of the Games, meant for former British colonies, has been questioned several times with some critics even calling the event a reminder of brutal subjugation.
But given the number of medals and secure futures that athletes from some countries can pull off by winning medals here, not many are complaining about the rather uncomfortable foundation on which the CWG legacy is built.
The success of the first Games at Hamilton in 1930 provided enough incentive to make them regular. Since 1930, they have taken place every four years except for 1942 and 1946, when they were disrupted due to World War II.
From 1930 to 1950 the Games were known as the British Empire Games, then the name was changed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games until 1962. From 1966 to 1974 they had the title of British Commonwealth Games and from 1978 onwards they have been known as simply the Commonwealth Games.
Courtesy : ddinews.gov.in
