The games have ended, and the world's athletes and media have admitted, sometimes grudgingly, that this was a spectacular example of the great Indian wedding... chaos in the run-up, but it all comes together beautifully in the end. The CWG was a turning point for India's social psyche, coming closely on the heels of the Ayodhya verdict - two events that clearly heralded the emergence of new Indian thinking - intolerance of politics of division in the name of religion, and a belief in ourselves and our ability to conquer new frontiers.
This is also a golden opportunity for the country to undergo another long overdue makeover and grow an intense aversion and intolerance to corruption. The PM has already ordered an all-encompassing investigation into the money laundering and kickbacks, led by the CAG with all agencies from the CBI to the ED working together in tandem. Here's hoping that all muck will be cleared in a transparent and just fashion under our legal frameworks, and that the Indian common man will also deliver his own punishment to the guilty at the next hustings.
Showing posts with label CWG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CWG. Show all posts
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Cyber War Games
While the sporting world competed and celebrated their victories on the field, another war was being fought - in cyber world. During the 12 days of the event, the games' cyber networks faced at least a 1000 potential attacks, most of them of the "denial of service" category, originating mostly in China, some in Pakistan. Overall, more than 5000 incidents were detected and thwarted. None of these, however, succeeded in penetrating even the first of the three layers of cyber security that had been installed by the Cyber Crisis Management Group which consisted of cyber experts from the intelligence agencies, Delhi Police, and the Indian government's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In).
Friday, October 15, 2010
Kalmadi
All said and done, I think Kalmadi deserves a standing round of applause - he pulled off the impossible. Yes, the accounts should be audited and some wrongs need to be righted - but at the end of the day, it's the results that matter, and for that, Kalmadi and his team gets a 10 on 10.
Kangaroo Rampage
Here is one bit of CWG damage Kalmadi can safely be exonerated from...
Enraged by the humiliating loss of the Aussie team at the hands of the Indians, Australian athletes went berserk, destroying electrical fittings and furniture in their tower in the Games Village, according to highly placed sources in the Delhi Police. They shouted slogans against Sachin, and flung a washing machine down from the eighth floor of their tower.
The washing machine survived.
Enraged by the humiliating loss of the Aussie team at the hands of the Indians, Australian athletes went berserk, destroying electrical fittings and furniture in their tower in the Games Village, according to highly placed sources in the Delhi Police. They shouted slogans against Sachin, and flung a washing machine down from the eighth floor of their tower.
The washing machine survived.
CWG Closing Ceremony
India bid goodbye to the CWG in a closing ceremony matched in glamour only by the opening night.. as the night reverbrated with the sounds of some of Bollywood's most popular numbers, hundreds of performers showcased India's cultural diversity (and martial arts!), Armed forces bands displayed clinical perfection and the night exploded with the most amazing fireworks display the world has seen... and unlike in Beijing, no special effects were used to make for good TV - the government simply put up a helicopter in the sky to capture unbelievably beautiful pictures.
And inspite of all the doomsdayers who desperately waited for a big failure so they could say, I told you so, India put on a smashing show, on and off the field. The village was the best ever, the venues didn't have any more tiles falling, and all Times Of India could report gleefully were 3 harmless snakes that crawled out from under their hiding place! India rocked the games winning 38 gold, 101 medals in all, and came 2nd overall in the standings.
And lest we forget - let's remember the tireless work of our security forces who provided unmatched safety and security to all the lakhs of citizens, sportsmen and participants, ensuring terror remained firmly across the border.
Proud to be Indian!
And inspite of all the doomsdayers who desperately waited for a big failure so they could say, I told you so, India put on a smashing show, on and off the field. The village was the best ever, the venues didn't have any more tiles falling, and all Times Of India could report gleefully were 3 harmless snakes that crawled out from under their hiding place! India rocked the games winning 38 gold, 101 medals in all, and came 2nd overall in the standings.
And lest we forget - let's remember the tireless work of our security forces who provided unmatched safety and security to all the lakhs of citizens, sportsmen and participants, ensuring terror remained firmly across the border.
Proud to be Indian!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
CWG - India Finish Second
The games are over, and India has turned in a very impressive performance - 38 gold, 101 medals in all (exceeding the "outrageous" target they sent for themselves) including some very rare medals in athletics and gymnastics, in addition to sterling performance in wrestling, archery, shooting, boxing, badminton (Saina just got a gold) and tennis. The hockey team also did very well reaching the final, beating Pakistan and England in the last two games, but unfortunately were routed by Australia in the finals.
India finished second overall behind CWG powerhouses Australia and ahead of England (although England had a lot more medals overall).
India finished second overall behind CWG powerhouses Australia and ahead of England (although England had a lot more medals overall).
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
CWG Updates
The Indian juggernaut rolls on... after a long overdue gold in athletics (discus throw) yesterday, the Indian 4x400 women's relay team did us proud with another gold. Also, Indian men's hockey team put up another brilliant performance, coming from 1-3 to level scores, and then beat England in the hockey semi finals, assuring us our first medal in CWG hockey. With 32 gold, and a total of 89, India is well placed to finish the games at overall 2nd (or maybe 3rd if England catch up), and over a 100 medals, as the contingent leader promised at the beginning of the games.
Meanwhile, in Bangalore,Tendulkar completed another brilliant 200, and after a mini collapse towards the end of the innings, India finished with a lead of 17. By the end of the day, Australia had lost 7 wickets, with a lead of less than 200. Tomorrow will be an exciting final day - if India can bowl out the Aussies quickly, we are set for a very nail-biting finish.
Meanwhile, in Bangalore,Tendulkar completed another brilliant 200, and after a mini collapse towards the end of the innings, India finished with a lead of 17. By the end of the day, Australia had lost 7 wickets, with a lead of less than 200. Tomorrow will be an exciting final day - if India can bowl out the Aussies quickly, we are set for a very nail-biting finish.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
CWG Hockey - India vs Pakistan
Exciting hockey match in progress - in the first 20 mins, India has already hammered 4 goals into our hapless dear neighbours...
Meanwhile, the gold tally is up to 28 today, and India maintains its second position in the medals table.
Meanwhile, the gold tally is up to 28 today, and India maintains its second position in the medals table.
Connaught Place
The CWG cycling events provide some beautiful coverage of the newly done up Connaught Place area... well laid out roads, beautiful greenery all around, looming skyscrappers in the back ground. I wanna go check it out myself!
India - A New Age
As the CWG enters its second half, Indian sports too is entering a new age. While maintaining its dominance in sports like wrestling, archery and (unlikely for a poor country) shooting, Indian athletes are also providing reason for cheer in hitherto weak disciplines like swimming and gymnastics. Credit goes to all the individual sports federations and governing bodies who are working hard to grow our capabilities in these areas. In a country crazy for cricket, another heartening fact is that these successes are coming from those countless small towns and villages dotting the country, not just from the swanky metros. Undoubtedly, the road to Olympic glory passes through our heartland.
Most youngsters today might not get what the big hullaboo is all about, but anyone who grew up in the 80s and early 90s will understand. As a kid, the only shot to sporting glory was when India had its rare cricket victory - when we were not losing to Pakistan, whether it was due to the Sharjah effect, or Miandad's last ball six. That was before a young captain named Saurav Ganguly decided enough was enough. Before Vish redefined the equation Chess = Karpov + Kasparov. Before an excited Paes partnered with Bhupathi, before names like Sania and Saina brought cheers to the Indian fan.
Just as I write this, a 16 year old Ranchi girl hits three consecutive bulls eyes to win an Archery gold against her more sophisticated English opponent, while another small towner wins his wrestling encounter in a record 5 seconds.
Indian IT has so far enabled businesses and governments around the world, but now is creating opportunities within too. The Aadhar (UID) project is creating opportunities for the millions of India's rural poor. DRDO is working on our own OS (Operating System) to prevent hack attacks, while pushing dozens of indigineous satellites into space to keep a watch on our not-so-friendly neighbours, and providing the eyes and ears for our defensive missile batteries.
And while all this is happening, tax rates are going down!
Most youngsters today might not get what the big hullaboo is all about, but anyone who grew up in the 80s and early 90s will understand. As a kid, the only shot to sporting glory was when India had its rare cricket victory - when we were not losing to Pakistan, whether it was due to the Sharjah effect, or Miandad's last ball six. That was before a young captain named Saurav Ganguly decided enough was enough. Before Vish redefined the equation Chess = Karpov + Kasparov. Before an excited Paes partnered with Bhupathi, before names like Sania and Saina brought cheers to the Indian fan.
Just as I write this, a 16 year old Ranchi girl hits three consecutive bulls eyes to win an Archery gold against her more sophisticated English opponent, while another small towner wins his wrestling encounter in a record 5 seconds.
Indian IT has so far enabled businesses and governments around the world, but now is creating opportunities within too. The Aadhar (UID) project is creating opportunities for the millions of India's rural poor. DRDO is working on our own OS (Operating System) to prevent hack attacks, while pushing dozens of indigineous satellites into space to keep a watch on our not-so-friendly neighbours, and providing the eyes and ears for our defensive missile batteries.
And while all this is happening, tax rates are going down!
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
CWG
5 golds already, 3 more came from wrestling. Joshna Chinappa was a disappointment for squash fans, but now we even have an entry in an individual swimming event final. Indian men's hockey team won against Malaysia, but it could have been better. Doesn't look like a medal is assured here. Tennis continues to promise, and so does swimming. And boxing.
Monday, October 04, 2010
CWG Gets A Thumbs Up
The international media has finally stopped trying to pick on stray dogs and snakes, and admitted the inevitable: India has arrived. The 3.5 hour ceremony began on the dot, and was executed with brilliant smoothness and perfection, without a hitch, and everyone has taken notice.
And in my opinion, after all the brickbats, Kalmadi should get an ovation too. Yes, he bungled, but come on, some lose ceiling tiles, collapse of a foot bridge due to faulty equipment, and some dirty toilets long before the D Day - that's a very small list of failures in a 75000 crore endeavour!
Did you see the English contingent in their smart white and red Nehru collar kurtas and jackets? Wasn't that so cool?
The Aerostat was the star of the show, but do you know it is capable of a lot more? For example, it was supposed to also take along 25 drummers along with it when it rose into the sky, but it lost some of it's buoyancy and hence only the puppets went up. It's lights and camera were also not functioning for various other reasons... maybe it'll be on for the closing show.
And in my opinion, after all the brickbats, Kalmadi should get an ovation too. Yes, he bungled, but come on, some lose ceiling tiles, collapse of a foot bridge due to faulty equipment, and some dirty toilets long before the D Day - that's a very small list of failures in a 75000 crore endeavour!
Did you see the English contingent in their smart white and red Nehru collar kurtas and jackets? Wasn't that so cool?
The Aerostat was the star of the show, but do you know it is capable of a lot more? For example, it was supposed to also take along 25 drummers along with it when it rose into the sky, but it lost some of it's buoyancy and hence only the puppets went up. It's lights and camera were also not functioning for various other reasons... maybe it'll be on for the closing show.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
New India
Somewhere in rural Maharashtra, far away from the hustle and bustle of the cities, a new India quietly emerges...
CWG Opening Ceremony - A Riot Of Colors
Couldn't help putting up this absolutely beautiful collage of colors from today's CWG opening ceremony!
Breathtaking CWG Opening Ceremony - Live Commentary
Amazing opening ceremony in progress at the CWG - adrenalin pumping beats escalating to a crescendo, the jugalbandi led by child prodigy Keshav on the tabla, giant mehndi-laden hands magically appearing onto satin white sheets to the tune of Hariharan's Swagatam.. giant puppets gently swaying to the beats...
Keep watching! This is just the beginning.
The more formal part of the ceremony has now begun... Australia, the host of the last games, now coming on the field, leading the various contingents from the commonwealth countries. Some never heard names too - Guernsey, for example. UK is responsible for defending it, but it's not part of the UK!
I for India skipped. Guess the hosts come last.
Very smart and pretty Delhites carrying the placards... more of India's finest on display :)
Have you heard of a game called Lawn Bowl? Apparently, the CWG is the only event where they are played on such an international scale. When we were kids in Goa, we played "gaddyani" - the rules seem to be similar, the gadde were much smaller though :)
Another new country for me - Nauru. Pakistan gets a huge applause. Now St Vincent and the Grenadines. No, not two, they are one country :) Here comes Tonga, still very much a kingdom. Interestingly, Tonga never got formally colonized. Now Turk and Caicos Islands. Total population - 36000! Vanuatu now coming on the field.
And now the 60000 spectators (almost twice the population of Turk and Caicos Islands... lol... ) rise up with a roar - it's India! Abhinav Bindra, India's Olympic Gold Medallist carrying the proud flag. The girls look splendid in their red and maroon sarees, the guys princely in their sherwanis. Hundreds of tricolors fluttering proudly. India is aiming for the second overall spot in the medals tally, with a target of 100 medals. A standing ovation from everyone in the stadium.
The heat (literally) making President Pratibha Patil take out her kerchief to dab her forehead :)
Back into another commercial break (while I have my dinner...)
Sursh Kalmadi now takes the mike - to cheers and boos :) Long list of names in his opening statement - Sheila Dixit gets huge applause - that lady is very popular! Kalmadi talking about India's rise as a super power - again met by large applause. Interestingly, he also gives credit to Vajpayee for supporting the bid during the BJP government. And I have to hand this to him - sensing the mood of the people, he's thankfully kept it very short.
Fennel speaking now, I am focussing on finishing off my chicken.
Manmohan Singh now welcomes the participants - to loud applause. And I have finished my dinner.
The Queen's Baton arrives - carried by Vijendra Singh, our star boxer, who hands it to Mary Kom, his female compatriot. The baton is a technological wonder - recording audio-visuals as it moves, receiving messages and SMSes, keeping a log of all its travels over almost 2 lakh km. Baton is now being passed from one sportsman to another, till it is handed to Prince Charles...
The prince now reads the Queen's message... and the games have been declared open, with "I declare the games open"! There was some confusion and controversy about who should open the games - with the Queen not attending, some wanted India's President to do the honours. Finally, it was decided that Prince Charles would do it on the Queen's behalf.
Hopefully, the last of the speeches now... by our very own President Patil. And not to be left out, she says "let the games begin"! And this time, there're fireworks too :)
Another commercial break - need some action now. We have had enough of the formal ceremony. Siddhesh says, let the entertainment begin!
Military band plays while flags of all the participating nations are brought into the stadium in a colorful parade. A very elaborate, formal act of raising the commonwealth flag now, complete with marching soldiers and playing of the bugle. Now the oath ceremony, led by Abhinav Bindra...
We are back to the entertainment - the Tree of Knowledge segment, starting with Buddhish chants, and then blossoming into a wonderful arts and culture show showcasing the best of India. A wonderful Bodhi tree created in the center, the trunk rising from the ground through shimmering curtains, the huge Aerostat blimp in the center rendering the colorful foliage. A treat for the senses. Absolutely vibrant colors.
I believe for the first time, the ceremony is also being shot and transmitted in true HD across the world.
Meanwhile, the 12-day CWG event would spur India's economic growth by around $4,940 million in the next four years and create close to 24.7 lakh jobs, says the Games Organising Committee in a report.
On to Yoga now, another spectacular segment culminating with a huge rendering of the Buddha emerging from the center.
A journey through India... it just gets better and better! A huge train pulls in... made of gigantic bangles.... leading a glorious parade. Cycle shops, coolies, a tribute to India's common man. Chaiyya chaiyya on the train. AB posters. Politicians with their loud speakers. And how can auto-rickshaws be far behind? And the dabbawallahs of Mumbai. Masala chai! Along with folk dances and folk songs. A rich kaleidoscope of the common man's life in India.
Doordarshan starting to irritate the hell out of me now - incessant breaks robbing us of some excellent stuff :( Right in the middle of the program, too.
Wonderful tribute to Gandhiji now, as the Dandi March is "painted" by fingers in sand on a lighted panel, projected on the Aerostat for all to see.
As the folk dances culminate in another crescendo of sound and lights, fireworks light up the sky, and the field...
And now, performing the theme song of the CWG 2010, A.R.Rehman! And now, we have Jai Ho! The stadium absolutely erupting in frenzy...!
And that's it ladies and gentlemen, the doomsdayers and the naysayers, the pessimists and the no-men, India has proved, once again, what we are capable of. It has truly been a big, fat Indian wedding, and Kalmadi or not, India has arrived!!!
Proud to be Indian!
Keep watching! This is just the beginning.
The more formal part of the ceremony has now begun... Australia, the host of the last games, now coming on the field, leading the various contingents from the commonwealth countries. Some never heard names too - Guernsey, for example. UK is responsible for defending it, but it's not part of the UK!
I for India skipped. Guess the hosts come last.
Very smart and pretty Delhites carrying the placards... more of India's finest on display :)
Have you heard of a game called Lawn Bowl? Apparently, the CWG is the only event where they are played on such an international scale. When we were kids in Goa, we played "gaddyani" - the rules seem to be similar, the gadde were much smaller though :)
Another new country for me - Nauru. Pakistan gets a huge applause. Now St Vincent and the Grenadines. No, not two, they are one country :) Here comes Tonga, still very much a kingdom. Interestingly, Tonga never got formally colonized. Now Turk and Caicos Islands. Total population - 36000! Vanuatu now coming on the field.
And now the 60000 spectators (almost twice the population of Turk and Caicos Islands... lol... ) rise up with a roar - it's India! Abhinav Bindra, India's Olympic Gold Medallist carrying the proud flag. The girls look splendid in their red and maroon sarees, the guys princely in their sherwanis. Hundreds of tricolors fluttering proudly. India is aiming for the second overall spot in the medals tally, with a target of 100 medals. A standing ovation from everyone in the stadium.
The heat (literally) making President Pratibha Patil take out her kerchief to dab her forehead :)
Back into another commercial break (while I have my dinner...)
Sursh Kalmadi now takes the mike - to cheers and boos :) Long list of names in his opening statement - Sheila Dixit gets huge applause - that lady is very popular! Kalmadi talking about India's rise as a super power - again met by large applause. Interestingly, he also gives credit to Vajpayee for supporting the bid during the BJP government. And I have to hand this to him - sensing the mood of the people, he's thankfully kept it very short.
Fennel speaking now, I am focussing on finishing off my chicken.
Manmohan Singh now welcomes the participants - to loud applause. And I have finished my dinner.
The Queen's Baton arrives - carried by Vijendra Singh, our star boxer, who hands it to Mary Kom, his female compatriot. The baton is a technological wonder - recording audio-visuals as it moves, receiving messages and SMSes, keeping a log of all its travels over almost 2 lakh km. Baton is now being passed from one sportsman to another, till it is handed to Prince Charles...
The prince now reads the Queen's message... and the games have been declared open, with "I declare the games open"! There was some confusion and controversy about who should open the games - with the Queen not attending, some wanted India's President to do the honours. Finally, it was decided that Prince Charles would do it on the Queen's behalf.
Hopefully, the last of the speeches now... by our very own President Patil. And not to be left out, she says "let the games begin"! And this time, there're fireworks too :)
Another commercial break - need some action now. We have had enough of the formal ceremony. Siddhesh says, let the entertainment begin!
Military band plays while flags of all the participating nations are brought into the stadium in a colorful parade. A very elaborate, formal act of raising the commonwealth flag now, complete with marching soldiers and playing of the bugle. Now the oath ceremony, led by Abhinav Bindra...
We are back to the entertainment - the Tree of Knowledge segment, starting with Buddhish chants, and then blossoming into a wonderful arts and culture show showcasing the best of India. A wonderful Bodhi tree created in the center, the trunk rising from the ground through shimmering curtains, the huge Aerostat blimp in the center rendering the colorful foliage. A treat for the senses. Absolutely vibrant colors.
I believe for the first time, the ceremony is also being shot and transmitted in true HD across the world.
Meanwhile, the 12-day CWG event would spur India's economic growth by around $4,940 million in the next four years and create close to 24.7 lakh jobs, says the Games Organising Committee in a report.
On to Yoga now, another spectacular segment culminating with a huge rendering of the Buddha emerging from the center.
A journey through India... it just gets better and better! A huge train pulls in... made of gigantic bangles.... leading a glorious parade. Cycle shops, coolies, a tribute to India's common man. Chaiyya chaiyya on the train. AB posters. Politicians with their loud speakers. And how can auto-rickshaws be far behind? And the dabbawallahs of Mumbai. Masala chai! Along with folk dances and folk songs. A rich kaleidoscope of the common man's life in India.
Doordarshan starting to irritate the hell out of me now - incessant breaks robbing us of some excellent stuff :( Right in the middle of the program, too.
Wonderful tribute to Gandhiji now, as the Dandi March is "painted" by fingers in sand on a lighted panel, projected on the Aerostat for all to see.
As the folk dances culminate in another crescendo of sound and lights, fireworks light up the sky, and the field...
And now, performing the theme song of the CWG 2010, A.R.Rehman! And now, we have Jai Ho! The stadium absolutely erupting in frenzy...!
And that's it ladies and gentlemen, the doomsdayers and the naysayers, the pessimists and the no-men, India has proved, once again, what we are capable of. It has truly been a big, fat Indian wedding, and Kalmadi or not, India has arrived!!!
Proud to be Indian!
CWG - Giving An Identity
Do you know what's the coolest thing about the CWG? The fact that it gives sportsmen from many smaller countries like The Isle Of Man, a member of the British Isles with a population of 80,000 and area less than the size of Mumbai, a chance to represent their own flag. In other events, the "Manx" become "British".
Which brings me to another question. What is the difference between UK and Great Britain? Yes, UK = GB + Northern Ireland. What about GB? GB = England, Scotland and Wales. Unlike the US, the UK is thus a "federation" of independent countries, NOT states! Thought about it?
Which brings me to another question. What is the difference between UK and Great Britain? Yes, UK = GB + Northern Ireland. What about GB? GB = England, Scotland and Wales. Unlike the US, the UK is thus a "federation" of independent countries, NOT states! Thought about it?
Saturday, October 02, 2010
CWG Updates
4 days, 100 men, and a brand new foot bridge ready to go. That's just one bright story in the CWG saga, which has taken a complete U turn in the last few days.
With less than two days to go, the CWG village is shining and sexy, the food on offer is mind blowing, the shopping is unlimited, the 5000 odd athletes and officials already in the village can't stop gawking, and every can look forward to the best games ever.
The security forces have taken over most of the venues with more than one lakh personnel on duty in the streets of Delhi, and helicopters, UAVs and fighter aircraft are on stand by and ready for any eventuality. Even langurs have been brought in to tackle the monkey menace in the games village.
India will look to bag a record haul of medals, with tennis, badminton, wrestling, boxing, shooting and hockey being our best bets. Athletics and swimming is probably our weakest link, but who knows!
As they say, India is down right now, but it's simply because we are tasked with pushing the rest of the world up!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
PM Refuses To Meet Mike Fennel
The first smile on my face on the CWG mess - the PM has refused to meet Mike Fennel, asking him to meet other lower officials instead. Must say that Mike had the guts to demand a meeting with the PM, given his own dubious dealings and links to the CWG, as reported in various reports.
Kalmadi has also been completely taken out of the OC now, and Jaipal Reddy has been put in charge.
Silver lining?
Kalmadi has also been completely taken out of the OC now, and Jaipal Reddy has been put in charge.
Silver lining?
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