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- India Commonwealth Games Gold Medal History | Delhi 2010 Saina Nehwal
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14 October 2010…
Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was echoing with slogans of ‘Bharat…Bharat…’. Saina Nehwal was on the badminton court. There was not just a final in front, but also India’s future in the medal tally.
Had Saina lost, hosts India would have slipped to third place, but they won. India’s 38th gold medal. The total number of medals was 101 and for the first time India reached second place after Australia in the Commonwealth Games medal table. Even today this is India’s best performance.
This story of India did not start in 2010, it started 76 years ago, when in 1934, only six Indian players participated in the Commonwealth Games for the first time. At that time, India was ruled by the British, but wrestler Rashid Anwar registered India’s name in history by winning the bronze medal.
However, the story of the Commonwealth Games goes back 43 years earlier. Come, Let us know about this 135 year old journey….
Saina Nehwal played a key role in giving India a historic second place in the medal tally by winning the women’s singles gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Neither government, nor king… a priest’s idea
The story of the Commonwealth begins in 1891. The British Empire was at its peak. Britain ruled over one-fourth of the world’s population and vast land. Then a British priest, John Astley Cooper, saw a dream that later gave birth to one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
He said that the strength of the empire increases not only from the army but also from the relationships between the people. If players from different countries of the British Empire come together on one field, mutual trust and brotherhood will be strengthened.
They named it ‘Pan-British Festival’, but it was easy to come up with the idea, difficult to make it a reality. This dream remained on paper for almost 20 years.
The coronation of the king showed the future
In 1911, the coronation of Britain’s King George V took place. On this occasion, Festival of Empire was organized in London.
Players from countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa competed in the same event for the first time. These were not the official Commonwealth Games, but historians consider it the first glimpse of the Commonwealth Games. It was here that people realized that such an event could be successful.
In 1911, people from different countries of the British Empire had come to the ‘Festival of Empire’ organized at the Crystal Palace in London.
A meeting held in the Olympics… which changed history
Sports administrators from the British Empire met during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. It was decided here that apart from the Olympics, every four years there would be a sports event of its own for the countries of the British Empire. It was this decision that gave birth to the Commonwealth Games.
The first games were almost on the verge of being canceled
16 August 1930… The first British Empire Games were about to begin in the small town of Hamilton, Canada. But a big problem was in front. Air travel was not common at that time. Most of the players reached Canada by sea ships. Many countries clearly said that they do not have the travel expenses.
The organizers provided financial help to many teams. Only then could the first event take place. If Canada had backed out at that time, perhaps the history of the Commonwealth Games would have ended there.
Today thousands of players come…then there were only 400
Only around 400 players from 11 countries in the first edition. It included only 6 sports – athletics, boxing, swimming, diving, wrestling and lawn balls. Today thousands of players participate in these games and dozens of games are played.
Australia’s rower Bobby Pierce won the first gold medal in the history of the Commonwealth Games. He later also became Olympic champion.
The first British Empire Games were held in Hamilton in 1930. It included only 11 countries, about 400 players, only 6 sports.
India was a slave in 1934, but wrote history
India entered these games for the first time. Not independent India… British India. There were only six players in the entire team. Among them, wrestler Rashid Anwar opened India’s account by winning the bronze medal. That is, India’s first Commonwealth medal came at a time when the country’s own tricolor was not even the official national flag.
Wrestler Rashid Anwar was the first Commonwealth medal winner for India.
Then came a war that stopped the game.
1942 and 1946… Commonwealth Games were to be held in both these years, but the world was burning in the Second World War. Lakhs of people were being killed. In such a situation there was no place for sports. These are the only two editions in history that were canceled due to world war. The Games returned to Auckland, New Zealand in 1950.
When the empire fell apart, the name of the games changed too
In 1930, the name of these games was British Empire Games, but the world changed in the next three decades. Many countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Nigeria, Malaysia became independent. The British Empire began to shrink and names began to change.
India won its first gold after 24 years
1958…Cardiff. A thin runner landed on the track. Name was Milkha Singh. He created history by winning the 440 yard race. He became the first Indian to win gold in an athletics event at the Commonwealth Games.
After this victory he came to be called ‘Flying Sikh’. Wrestler Leela Ram also won the gold medal in the same edition.
Milkha Singh won the gold medal by completing the 440 yard race in 46.71 seconds.
India became host after 76 years
India participated in the Commonwealth Games in 1934 and hosted it in 2010, i.e. after 76 years. New Delhi became the first city in South Asia to host the Commonwealth Games. Nearly 6,000 athletes from 71 Commonwealth countries and territories competed in 272 events across 17 sports.
The pressure of being the host was not less, but India created history by winning 101 medals including 38 gold, 27 silver and 36 bronze. For the first time, India reached second place after Australia in the Commonwealth Games medal table. Even today this is India’s best performance.
Grandly organized the opening ceremony of the New Delhi Commonwealth Games (2010). India was hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
126 Indian players will participate in 2026 Commonwealth Games
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 2. This time only 10 sports are included. India is sending a contingent of 126 players, who will participate in athletics, boxing, weightlifting, judo, swimming, track cycling, gymnastics, lawn bowls, 3×3 basketball and para competition. Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag bearers for India.
At the same time, the Commonwealth Games will once again return to India in 2030. Ahmedabad will host. The Commonwealth Games is completing 100 years in 2030 itself, hence it is being considered special.
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