Commonwealth Games comes to town – New Delhi

The much coveted Commonwealth Games’ nineteenth edition in 2010 is scheduled to be held in New Delhi, between 3rd October and 14th October 2010.

The event will be the biggest sporting extravaganza to be conducted in New Delhi after the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The 2010 edition of the Commonwealth Games will be the first one to be held in India and the second time to be held in Asia after 1998. The opening ceremony of this prestigious event will be held in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi which will be all spruced up for the event.

The estimated expenditure for hosting the 19th Commonwealth is US$ 1.6 billion and this excludes ancillary development expenditure in the city like airports, roads and other structures. This makes the 2010 Commonwealth Games as the most costly Commonwealth Games ever.

You are in for a big surprise if you are visiting Delhi after a gap of a couple of years. The national capital, which has always sported all bearings of a modern city, has undergone a sea change in wake of the commonwealth games thereby joining the league of some of the ultra modern world cities. To brace themselves for the gigantic influx of visitors travelling to Delhi throughout the Games, authorities have taken numerous steps to advance the city.

Indeed, the most notable changes are seen in the city’s otherwise deteriorating infrastructure which has received a new lease of life. The city now boasts one of the most sophisticated airports in the world, a world class metro rail system and a highly advanced road transport, spruced up parks and gardens, new landmarks, stadiums, Games Village, and a new look for the Connaught Place, the heart of the city! The list of new projects that have been undertaken in the run up to the games is actually endless with the city’s populace singing praises as most of the projects are near completion and many of them have already been put to test in the recent international events held in the city.

The city is all geared up to pull the curtains to the Commonwealth Games with a grand opening ceremony sure to leave memories to cherish.