Delhi Games: Rev-up For London 2012
- October 15th, 2010
- Posted by EUEditor
The Commonwealth Games have ended with a spectacular closing ceremony, finishing eleven days of generally trouble-free competition, and overcoming the disorganisation of the lead-up to the event.
AUSTRALIANS
Australian athletes who headed the medals tally followed a tradition of fitting the competition into preparation for the next Olympics – this time at London in just under two years.
Not being part of the Asian Games, the Australians have only their separate sports championships now as a testing ground, before 2012.
The competition open to the 54 member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly the British Empire Games, has been running for nearly eighty years.
While the records and personal best performances required of players mostly fall short of Olympic standard, it provides intense elite-level competition.
Australia has a holiday from some of the severest opposition, notably in the absence of China, Russia and the United States, and has a chance to dominate.
This time in the medals tally, the Australian team piled up 177 medals (74 Gold, 55 Silver, 48 Bronze).
INDIA
The home team, often lagging at the Olympics, made startling gains, especially in boxing and wrestling, track and field, hockey and badminton – emerging second in the all-important Gold medals tally, at 38 (one more than England).
Its 101 medals overall in Delhi doubled the 50 won at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.
In a parallel competition, also in India, the Indian cricket team beat Australia in both tests, in a series of two.
ENGLAND
England, third, did not quite follow-up the revived British performance seen at the Beijing Olympics, though it suffered from the decision of leading cyclists not to participate, and its separation in the Commonwealth Games from Scotland (winners of 26 medals), Wales (19) and Northern Ireland (10).
Investment in systematic and scientific training regimes, even involving some Australian coaching staff, has seen a near-revolution in UK sports, setting up the chances for good home team performances in 2012.
MEDALS TALLY
Delhi Games medals, top five:
Australia – 177 (74 Gold, 55 Silver, 48 Bronze).
England – 142 (37, 59,46).
India – 101 (38,27,36).
Canada – 75 (26,17,32).
South Africa – 33 (12,11,10).
Altogether 36 nations were included in the medals tally, ranging through to Bangladesh, Guyana and St Lucia with a Bronze medal each.
Delhi began badly before the start of competition, with serious structural flaws in new buildings erected for the occasion and athletes’ accommodation not being ready to occupy on time; but the Games revived after a brilliantly choreographed and presented opening ceremony in the main arena.
The next Commonwealth Gsmes will be in Glasgow in 2014, with the Queensland Gold Coast and the Sri Lankan city of Hambantota registering bids to host the Games in 2018.
Reference
Delhi 2010 XIX Commonwealth Games (home), “Competition Informationâ€, 14.10.10.
http://results.cwgdelhi2010.org/en/Root.mvc/Medals, (14.10.10).