New Delhi: I vaguely recall a member of Mikhail Gerbachov's delegation, which visited New Delhi in the 'Sweet November' of 1986, say this about India: "Nobody is working but still the work is going on." Twenty-four years on, the statement still holds as true as the Gospel and finds corroborative evidence in New Delhi's snooze-button approach in hosting the XIX Commonwealth Games that will be declared open on Sunday.
Delhi woke up, only when it found itself between the devil and the deep blue sea but thankfully it did, allowing global stars to descend and settle down happily at the Games Village after filling up the complaint book on their arrival.
Now we are ready, not for any negativism, but to see the positive vibes turn into fierce competition on the field of play. And hopefully, the Indian National Anthem will reverberate regularly during the medal distributions in sporting arenas spread across the length and breadth of the capital.
The mega event begins with a two-and-a-half-hour pageantry to open the Games on October 3, which will cast a spell on 70,000-strong gallery, not through Bollywood, but with the finest performers from all over the country who will paint India's cultural picture at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Besides the pyrotechnics, the 'Royal' presence will double the show's wattage as Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will grace the occasion to make up for Queen Elizabeth's first absence at the sporting event in 44 years.
Oscar-winning music composer – who also composed the Games' theme song – AR Rehman will also strike the lyre and leave the audience spellbound with a couple of performances.
The razzmatazz of the opening ceremony will provide a hitchhike to the Games into the field of play from October 4, where athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations will compete in 17 disciplines contested at 12 competition venues in the Indian capital.
And for once, the chauvinistic approach towards sports other than cricket in India will take a backseat. The Sushil Kumars, Saina Nehwals and Vijender Singhs will take a crack at bejeweling India's sporting crown. And if things go right for them, India will have more yellow metal to its credit than in any previous edition of the Games.
India expects to better its fourth-place finish at Melbourne in 2006 with strong Gold medal hopes clinging to boxing, shooting, badminton, tennis and wrestling.
World No. 3 Saina Nehwal will grace the badminton courts and carries the aspirations of winning nothing less than the gold in the women's singles. Jwala Gutta and V Diju's strong international performances have also instilled hopes of a medal in the mixed doubles event.
'Golden' punches are also expected in boxing, in which India is now considered a powerhouse. Vijender Singh and Akhil Kumar have put in long hours for this day and look determined to bag the yellow metal.
India go into the tennis event on the back of qualifying for the Davis Cup World Group. Not only that, Somdev Devvarman has been given the top seeding in the men's singles draw while Sania Mirza will take the court as second seed. But the most muscular contenders for Gold will undoubtedly be the famed duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, with hardly any challengers in sight to pose a threat to India's Grand Slam-winning pair.
Shooting went on a gold spree in Melbourne, thanks to Samaresh Jung. The ace marksman, however, has qualified for just one event for this edition of the Games. Sights will also be set on Olympic Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra - who will carry the baton during the opening ceremony - to repeat his Beijing feat at New Delhi. World Champion Ronjan Sodhi is another medal prospect who will try to hit the bull's eye for India.
Riding on his World Championship win at Russia last month, Sushil Kumar is expected to set the wrestling mat on fire and carve out a Gold medal.
In athletics, 2006 silver medallist discuss-thrower Seema Antil and shot-putter Saurabh Vij can be among the top finishers.
But one Gold medal that India will cherish more than any other is in the men's hockey event.
Political interests in ruling the National Game, personal grudges, players' mutiny, etc., have only tarnished the game's image, pulling it down from an altar of six consecutive Olympic Golds (1928 to 1956) to its first failure to qualify for the Olympics (since 1928) at Beijing in 2008.
Maybe time has arrived for hockey to roll up its sleeves for a podium finish, if not Gold, and what better moment than the second-biggest sporting extravaganza, and that too at home.
True that non-sporting issues, which was none of players' fault, immediately preceding the Games have not allowed ideal preparation to the Indian contingent but that's where champions get separated from participants, by not letting the periphery of their focus go beyond winning for the country.
So time for talks is over! The controversies are trashed! Issues are settled! And it's time to let the real Games begin and roar in unison: 'Come out and Play'.
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