2010 Commonwealth Games

Delhi 2010: XIX Commonwealth Games

Logo of 2010 Commonwealth Games
Host city	Delhi, India
Motto	Come out and play
Nations participating	71 Commonwealth Teams
Athletes participating	6,089
Events	272 events in 21 disciplines
Opening ceremony	3 October 2010
Closing ceremony	14 October 2010
Officially opened by	Charles, Prince of Wales and Pratibha Patil, President of India
Athlete's Oath	Abhinav Bindra
Queen's Baton Final Runner	Sushil Kumar
Anthem	Jeeyo Utho Badho Jeeto (AR Rahman)
Main venue	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Website	www.CWGDelhi2010.org
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The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games to date. It was also the largest international multi-sport event to be staged in Delhi and India, eclipsing the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event. It was the first time that the Commonwealth Games were held in India and the second time it was held in Asia after Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. This also marked the first time a Commonwealth Republic hosted the games. The official mascot of the Games was Shera and the official song of the Games, "Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto", was composed by celebrated Indian musician A.R. Rahman.

Preparation for the Games received widespread international media attention, with criticism being levelled against the organisers for the slow pace of work, as well as issues related to security and hygiene. However, all member nations of the Commonwealth of Nations participated in the event, except Fiji, which is suspended from the Commonwealth, and Tokelau, which didn't send a team, in spite of threats of boycotts and athlete withdrawals. The internationally acclaimed opening ceremony improved the image of the Games, and dispelled negative notions surrounding them, with many observers remarking that they began on an apprehensive note, but were an exceptional experience with a largely positive ending. The President of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, said that India had made a good foundation for a future Olympics bid, which was reiterated by the Australian Ministry of Sports. Commonwealth games Federation chief Mike Fennell stated that "Delhi delivered a fantastic Games". Some observers accused sections of the media of bias, unfair expectations, and negative reporting.