Hosting Cities & International Sporting Events : Olympics , Asian Games, Commonwealth Games

1951 - Asian Games
1982 - Asian Games
1989 - Asian Track and Field Championship
1993 - Badminton World Cup
2000 - Thomas Cup and Uber Cup
2008 - European Tour Golf
2010 - World Cup Hockey
2010 - Commonwealth Games
2012 - SAARC Games
2024 - Olympics ( may be )



Are you able to find any similarity in the list above? All these big events were and will be hosted by India in only one City - New Delhi.




Besides the above list New Delhi has also hosted many other events like Cycling Championship, World Billiards & Snooker Championship, International Volleyball Championships and many Davis Cup matches. Golf tournaments have also become a regularity in the city now. Lets also not forget that Delhi is the second hub in India after Mumbai.

What does all this details signify?
Is there only one city in India capable of hosting international events in India?
Perhaps no.
Is the love for Delhi of politicians sitting in Delhi?
May be.
IS the easy availability of funds from the center for an event to be hosted in Delhi?
May be.
Or is the attitude that one city is ready and lets host the event here, investment will be less?
Quiet Possible.
or due to callousness of sitting from eternity on their seats as the Chief of various non working sports bodies in India?
Possible.


There is no single reason for hosting of events regularly in Delhi. Its a combination of reasons listed above, there may be others also. But point is big tournaments are meant for development of the city infrastrucutrally and culturally.


Lets first analyze how much delhi has changed since it got the CWG 2010 hosting rights. Construction of flyovers and broadning of existing roads has increased and its been getting completed before time. Metro rail has spread to NCR region covering Noida, Ghaziabad and will soon be entering Gurgaon. City has got swanky line of red and green low floor buses which are slowly replacing killer blue line buses. Power shortage is rare in major areas of Delhi now. New T3 terminal will be inagurated soon. Various cultural events are lined up during the games times.

More than 1 lakh visitors are expected during the games times, they will be like brand ambassadors of their respective nations and will take away what they see here. In case of toursim word of mouth is most powerful form of advertising. Keeping this in mind tours to major tourists like Agra, Jaipur , Shimla , Amritsar are planned by various travel companies. Economy of the hosting city gets boost due to hosting rights. This is just in brief what can happen to a hosting city. I am not mentioning here what benefits sports persons get due to hosting, there are rarely few benefits visible, we only remember the past heroes at the time of baton relays and in most of cases bollywood celebrities are given limelight.



Crux is India should have tried to spread out hosting of events in major cities of India. VEry few events are hosted in cities apart from Delhi. Youth Commonwealth Games in Pune, first and last Afro Asian games in Hyderabad and may be few more of international scale.

Cluster Model for Asian/Commonwealth/Olympics Games:

We should have followed the cluster model just like in industries in hosting events. Delhi in north , Mumbai/Pune or Ahmedabad in west, Hyderabad/Chennai/Banglore in south, Kolkata/Bhubaneshwar in east. This would have atleast spread the infrastructure development to varios regions in India.

Map Showing hosts cities of CWG Games

From

South Korea has hosted Asian games in its 3 cities Seol(1986), Busan(2002), Incheon(2014). Only Bankok is following the wrong strategy it has hosted Asian Games 4 times in 1962,1970,1978,1998. China is also spreading the cities Beijin hosted asian games in 1990 and Guangzhou will be hosting in 2010, if they wanted they would have easily hosted games in Beijing again and used olympics infrastructure.
Similarly in case of commonwealth games Australia has hosted games in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane. Scotland hosted in Edinburg and Glasgow(2014).
India needs infra development badly it should use such events as a way to develop cities. We dream of hosting olympics by 2020 but we cant event find place other than Delhi for hosting CWG/Asian games in places other than capital. India can start with bidding for 2018 Asian Games.


Specific Cities for Hosting Individual Sports Championships.

Boxing is popular in North East though due to rein of Mr Chautala as Boxing supremo hub is being shifted to Haryana. Internation Boxing events can be held in North East and Haryana to spread the sports here. We have to target regions from where we can get gold medals at olympics. Chances of a boxer from these region getting medals are slighly higher compared to other places.


In same way Hockey events can be hosted in Punjab, Wrestling in UP, Haryana , Punjab, Delhi. Badminton tournaments in Southern part of countires. By following this method we will be developing small clusters for specific games. These places will have better coaching facilities,infrastrucutre and culture for these sports which is most important.

I hope it would not be See you in Delhi next time

but

See you in Chennai

See you in Pune

See you in Kolkota .................. next time

No ASIAD in Dilli: to lado bacchu

Ok, so now its Fool n Final that we are not going to host the 2014 Asian Games. Its going to be some Korean City touted by Suresh Kalmadi as a united bid for the games where as our bid was a divided one.

Some questions for Mr. Kalmadi,

1. Enough is enough when will you resign from the Indian Olympic Association?

No more questions, actually this one is enough, all other questions on health of Indian Sports, involvement of Politics in Indian sports, no use asking them as Mr. Kalmadi must be bored of it. Anyway I didn't quite like the tussle going on w.r.t to the bid between Mani Shankar Aiyar and Kalmadi. In a way me with Aiyar that lots of money will be saved. In a nation with farmers struggling to make up with rising debts there is no need to boast of anything, especially of our not so good skill-set involving Olympic sports.

Its true that sports brings good times to a nation, but its not that if don't get an event we should be disappointed at it. I thinks its time for Kalmadi to bid adieu atleast after the Commonwealth in Delhi, because even if you are an efficient administrator, a rot starts developing (exceptions like Bernie Ecclestone).

Lets hope we fight for some medals not for getting the bid.

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Budget 2007 : What's in for Sports

We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate.
The wind is blowing; those vessels whose sails are unfurled
catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have
their sails furled do not catch the wind. Is that the fault of
the wind?....... We make our own destiny.”
Swami Vivekananda

This quote was used by the FM during his last year budget speech. Another year has passed by and now we are again waiting for the D-Day of FM when he will be presenting the budget for the 2007-08. Big question is what to expect from the FM regarding the sports budget. Will it same as previous years a marginal increase.

I will weave around the words of Vivekananda

We reap what we sow :

Very true what we reap we will sow. So we need very good investment by government of India is sports to expect some medals from the players in Olympics. There is no shortage of talent in a county of billion , but that talent has to be tapped for doing that we should give opportunities to budding players. There has to be stadias in plenty , sports equipments in plenty, coaches to train players to guide them, professional institutes to train coaches.
How will these come ? Not with mere 500 crores and considering the pattern that 400 crores will not be utilised effectively you all know why (Corruption, filling pockets). With 100 crores we expect a rich haul of gold and this discussion always start 2 months before the olympics with news channels coming with wacky headlines like
Kya abki baari jeet hogi hamari ? Kya abki bari bharat gold medal la payega

We are the makers of our own fate:

Old saying hard work always pays stands true to much extent but the big question is players work hard , they practice hard , what is to be done about the politicians who don't know ABCD of the sports whose committee they are heading for the past ten to fifteen years or so. Who is to blame for the continuous practice of sports ministry sending more officials then players in major tournament.

The wind is blowing; those vessels whose sails are unfurled
catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have
their sails furled do not catch the wind.

Wind in form of having got the opportunity to organize big events like 2010 commonwealth games and bidding for the 2014 Asian games in Kuwait on April 16 and 17 . Getting to stage big events alone is not gonna help alone. There were rumors also that India is bidding for 2016 olympics, there is a need to have a strong base on which development/grooming of players and coaches is done. Take the example of china it is hosting the event when it has shown to the world its sports talent and there is high chance that china will dislodge the Americans in the medal tally in 2008 olympics. China sent a 700 strong squad mainly consisting of rookies in the qatar asian games. Do India has enough strength to send such a contingent? We have to utilize the 2010 commonwealth games as our base for olympics. We need to be in top 2 in these games with a rich medal haul not of 12-15 golds only.

Is that the fault of
the wind?....... We make our own destiny.

To a big extent it is the fault of government, but now I am hopeful that FM will give a big boost to sports. Tax benefits are expected for sports goods this measure will increase the sale of various sports equipments by large population. We need a big sports budget atleast bigger then the BCCI earnings. We need bigger grants not meager as in the last decade.

We will make our destiny, we are waiting for a ray of hope then future will be ours.

Am I right or ???? Comments..........


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India to bid for AFC Asian Cup 2011

We are into our nervous nineties. This is post number 91, I hope we will get to the three figures very soon. Let's see who will write the 100th post.

There is a good news for Indian football fans. India is among the last three countries who have shown interest in bidding for hosting the AFC Asian Cup in 2011. Other countries are Iran and Qatar. Iran is the highest ranked asian team in the fifa rankings , ranked at 32. Qatar is at 77 and India is way behind at 157 out of total 199 fifa members.

The three countries have to bid officially now by 1st April after showing their interest. Qatar and India are experienced a lot in hosting big events. Qatar recently hosted the asian games and India will be hosting the 2010 commonwealth games.
Last AFC cup was held in china with Japan regaining their title. AFC has to prepone the 2008 Asia Cup so as to avoid clashing with Olympic games and the euro cup. This year cup will be jointly hosted by Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia with 16 teams participating in the event out of 24 qualifiers, 12 qualifiers and 4 host nations.

Lets see who wins the bid, if India wins it will give a big boost to the Indian Football, india will get a chance to play in the cup as a host nation and the nation will be able to see the best of the asian football and who know India going crazy for football as cricket.


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Doha Update

3 Golds in Waiting India is assured of three silver medals atleast, there are very high chances of those three medals be golds. All three of them are in Tennis. Sania Mirza has reached the singles finals as well as mixed-doubles with Leander Paes who also has reached the men's doubles finals with Mahesh Bhupati. It has been a fantastic asian games for sania who earlier won the silver medal in the women's team event.



Chess Gold Almost Assured. India is very much assured of team gold in the mind game. The Indians have now won each of their seven matches for a total of 18.5 points - a lead of 4.5 points lead over its nearest rival China (14 points) with two rounds to go. Indian Humpy won the gold earlier in the individual category. Chess is being introduced for the first time in asian games.

Women Athletes Shine. Indian women athletes continued their fine outing in the Asian Games with a Gold in the 4*400 metres relay bagging gold while the men captured the silver medal. Sinimole Poulose won a bronze medal in the women's 1500 metre with a timing of 4 minutes and 15.09.

China Stun Pakistan Also. China delt a big blow to other hockey giant pakistan by defeating them in the semi finals 2-1 in the games. Lu slammed in a rebound from goalkeeper Nasir Ahmed, who had blocked the penalty corner drive, in the 10th minute of the golden goal extra-period to create a new benchmark in Chinese hockey. China will face South Korea in the finals.

Jaspal Rana to fly back. Jaspal Rana is declared the best sportsperson of the games and he will fly back to receive the honour in the closing ceremony. Rana took three golds in the games.






India is meanwhile 9th in the medal table with 7 Golds 16 silver and 19 bronze (42 total). Today there are high chances of india climbing up the tally.

• Medals Tally

facts : http://www.dohaasiangames.org/

India and Pakistan to say Kabaddi Kabaddi for Gold

Game of masses as it is refered because of its popularity in Asia will again become the match between the nations as arch rivals India and Pakistan will fight for Gold on day 6 in Doha Asian Games. Since its inception in Asian Games it's all the way India winning Gold each time in the last four games, reminding of the great indian hockey juggarnaut which used to happen in dhyan chand era.



Yesteday India clinched its second Gold with Pankaj Advani lifting the gold in billiards defeating compatriot Ashok Shandilya. India with only 11 medals is lying at 7th place, minnows Kazakhstan are way up with 7 gold at 4th.

In swimming its neck to neck between China and Japan with Japan ranked one on total count and china one when considered gold medals(2 more then japan). In shooting where India was expected to garner rich haul of medals after a splended performance in commonwealth games is lying 4th with only 7 medals way behind China( 33) , Kaz (16), Korea(16).

Visit

• Doha-Asiad
• Kabaddi Animation

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image from http://www.dohaasiangames.org/ uploaded from http://www.riya.com

Koneru Bags First Gold for India

Koneru Humpy won the first Gold for India in the Asian Games in the rapid fire swiss category in the first time introduced chess competition. Humpy, 19, defeated Dana Aketayeva of Kazhakstan, her ninth and final-round opponent, to grab the gold medal. In another shocking event indian tennis stars were defeated by the Chinese Taipei players 1-2.

Team was expected to win a few medals. Earlier in the day in men hockey team crushed the bangladesh team 6-0 with Tirkey scoring the hatrick.


Chinese are dominating the games with 38 golds till now almost half of the gold medals given. India is 9th with 1 Gold , 3 Silver and 2 Bronze. Image: http://www.dohaasiangames.org/



In other events Japan football team was really close to set a new Asian Games record, when they trashed Jordan 13-0 in the women's competition. The result is the third-highest winning margin in the history of the competition. Only China (16-0 against India) and North Korea (15-0 against Thailand) have registered higher scores.

Visit

• Doha Asiad

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Doha 2006 to officially start today

Biggest ever asian games Doha 2006 will officially start today with a spectacular opening ceremony. The ceremony will last for around three hours and twenty minutes and is directed by the man responsible for the sydney olympic ceremony. IOC president Dr JAcques Rogge will be a guest of honour including various other personalities.

The 15th edition will have around 10000 athletes competiting in 39 disciplines and fighting for around 3000 medals. Last time India finished 7th with 11 golds and 36 medals in total, this time we can expect some increase in medal tally with shooting, chess, kabaddi, cue being our strenghts.

China has landed a big contingent with 70% of the athletes competiting for the first time in a big event, this is all done to give them exposure for the 2008 olympics.



Official Site Doha2006



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