Commonwealth Games: A chronicle
The idea of having a sports festival every four years first sprouted in the mind of Reverend Ashley Cooper of England, who in 1891, proposed the idea of a Pan Britannic-Pan Anglican sports event-cum-festival to cultivate harmony among the British Empire. The first commonwealth games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada as the British Empire Games. It was highly successful with around 400 athletes from 11 countries participating in the event.

Since its commencement, 18 Commonwealth Games have successfully convened, once in every four years, with an exception of during World War II. Its nomenclature has evolved from British Empire and Commonwealth Games to British Commonwealth Games and finally Commonwealth Games, as it is known today. Not just the name but also the games have evolved as new events continue to be introduced now and then. The Commonwealth of Nations has 53 members and 71 teams with four constituent countries which are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Today CWG holds values for the world, such as Humanity, Equality and Destiny which are the real signs of true sportsmanship
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CWG Comes to India:
Homecoming:

India awaits to enter 2010, to give a warm homecoming to Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled to spring in the month of October and will keep the ball rolling from 3rd to 14th of the month. It will be the largest sports event to be held in India, with athletes from 72 nations competing in 17 events.

Vision, Values and Stakeholders of the XIX CWG, 2010:
The main aim of the event is to inculcate sports consciousness and culture in every Indian. The core values to be followed are sportsmanship, integrity, excellence, discipline, transparency, competence and solidarity. The stakeholders of the event include the Commonwealth Games Foundation, Indian Olympic Association, Government of India, Government of Delhi and the Organizing Committee.

Motto and Symbols Representing the Event:
Shera will be the mascot of this event symbolizing courage, power and majesty of India. The logo of the event shows a spiraling image inspired by the chakra, which is a symbol of unity, freedom and power. The figure spirals upwards marking growth and shows people coming together. Bright colors have been used to highlight a vibrant India and its journey from tradition to modernity. The tag line of the logo is 'Come Out and Play', which inculcates enthusiasm and zing in the lives of people, encouraging them to join the excitement and fun.

A Facelift for New Delhi:
Delhi is undergoing a major makeover to get ready for the big event. There are infrastructural upgradations taking place. The state is witnessing improvements in health care systems, better traffic management, more parking spaces, introduction of high capacity buses, better connected and well equipped airports, new flyovers, expressways and transit systems etc to make things perfect for the big event.

Efforts an resources are being directed to ensure maximum security for the guests, along with their comfort. A special police force called 'Tourist Police' will be deployed well before the commencement of the games. Private security agencies also will be allocated the responsibility of providing full proof security to the tourists. Call interception systems, monitoring systems and Special Task Forces (STFs) are being set well in place.

Commonwealth Games Village:
Delhi Development Authority is preparing a Games Village on the eastern banks of river Yamuna, near Akshardham Temple. It will provide a blend of the warmth of tradition hospitality and comfort of modern facilities which will include accommodation for athletes and team officials, training areas, fitness centres, relaxing contours and recreational zones within close proximity to the popular landmarks of Delhi.

Queen's Baton Relay:
Since 1958, there is a tradition of passing the baton across the Commonwealth Nations in a curtain raiser event called Queen's Baton Relay. The relay commences at the Queen's residence in Buckingham Palace, London and concludes at the opening ceremony in the host nation after handling the baton back to the Queen and reading aloud the message she wrote on it while starting the relay. It is a symbol of unity and diversity of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The CWG, 2010 baton has been designed in India itself and is equipped with technologies such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Light Emitting Diodes (LED), text messaging capability and sound and image capturing technology.

Venue for the Events:
The opening and closing ceremonies of Commonwealth Games will be held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. It will also be the venue for some of the sports events like Lawn Balls, Weightlifting and Athletics. Cycling, Wrestling and Gymnastic events will be held in the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium while Squash and Badminton events will be held in Siri Fort Sports Complex.

Apart from these venues, Talkatora Stadium will host the Boxing events and Hockey matches will take place in Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. R K Tennis Complex, SP Mukherjee Swimming Stadium, Delhi University Grounds and Tyagraj Sports Complex will host Tennis, Swimming, Rugby and Netball events respectively.

Commonwealth Games and Indian Tourism:
Commonwealth Games is going to improve the Indian economy, especially the tourism sector. It is expected that India will witness a rise in the influx of foreign tourist from 4.43 percent in 2009 to 10 percent in 2010.The expected influx of around ten million foreign tourists during the games is believed to aggravate during the months before and after the event. The travel destinations that will be the centripetal attraction will be Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala.