Lets make Commonwealth Games a huge success….

For the past one month or so, print media has been crying foul about how poorly the preparation for the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010, scheduled to be held in New Delhi in about 8 weeks from now, has been. Considering the situation as of today, where the management is reeling under criticism for financial mismanagement and general under-preparedness, only the involvement of the average Delhiite would dispel all gloom and negativity around the CWG.

The sense of pride that the ordinary citizen would usher in about hosting such a sporting spectacle would in my book ensure that the Delhi legacy would be positive, that the infrastructure created would be well harnessed and the CWG would be a success story. Right now, the ordinary citizen is not even least interested in the games. They see it as a case of misplaced priority, an exercise in opulence and a blatant attempt in nurturing a fragile sense of national pride. This attitude has to change significantly. We can make up for all glitches on the part of the officials with sheer passion for this sporting spectacle.

Among our athletes, barring a few stars, most of them require the CWG as a launching pad for their livelihoods. They have prepared for this under adverse conditions and strived day in and day out to stand up for the country. This is their only crack at stardom and it is our moral responsibility to provide it to them. A handful of corrupt individuals cannot be allowed to blight a national mission like the CWG, which is significant enough to shape opinions about India across the global sporting fraternity. God forbid, if the CWG fails, the sordid tale of Indian sport would need an epitaph. No other sporting events of such magnitude may be handed over to India anymore.

Hence it is imperative for ordinary citizens like us to stand up, get involved passionately in the games, buy tickets which are affordable and cheer for our athletes. If we can create a resonance in other Indian cities also about the CWG, it would be worth the effort. We, proud Indians, should try our best shot to protect the Shera.