The recently concluded Commonwealth Games (CWG) were unlike the usual multidisciplinary sporting extravaganzas that we are used to seeing. A late replacement to Victoria as host, the Glasgow Games were more akin to an abridged version with fewer events and fewer participants. India finished fourth on the medal table, a commendable performance given that most of the sports that have formed the bulk of our medal haul had been removed. But questions of uncertainty have been whirling around the Games for a long time. Should the Commonwealth Games be scrapped? Anju Bobby George and Dr. Heena Sidhu discuss the question in a conversation moderated by Uthra Ganesan. Edited excerpts:
What is the importance of the CWG for sports in general and for India particularly?Anju Bobby George: From an athlete’s or athletics point of view, it is one of the biggest competitions after the Olympics and World Championships, coming before the Asian Games. Winning a medal in the Commonwealth Games is precious, and athletes take it very seriously. Initially, in 2002, we got only two medals; but in the recent CWG, our athletes bagged 10 medals.
When looking at the scale of the competition, in the World Championships and the Olympics, we compete with more than 210 countries. In the CWG, there are about 80 countries, and in the Asian Games, more than 40. As the number of countries goes up, the competition will also go up. So for us in athletics, the CWG comes in third place. Most of the elite, top-level, world-ranking athletes compete, making it very tough. Also, it is a preparation for the Olympics and World Championships.
