Commonwealth Games Fact Sheet 1 (By Arun joshi, Sri-Krishna Institute, 9888933043)

1. This marks the first time the Commonwealth Games have been held in India and the second time the event has been held in Asia (after the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
2. The two principal bids for the 2010 Commonwealth Games were from Delhi, India and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. A ballot of members was held in November 2003 at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Delhi bid won by a margin of 46 votes to 22, confirming India's first successful bid for the Games.
3.. India's bid motto was New Frontiers and Friendships.
4.. The organizers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme to show the intention to host a "sustainable games" and to take the environment into consideration when constructing and renovating venues. Thyagaraj Stadium is intended to be a key example of environmentally considered construction.
5.. The official mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is Shera, an anthropomorphised tiger. His name comes from "Sher", a hindi word meaning tiger (Hindi "Bagh" means tiger. However, Sher is colloquially used for both lion and tiger).
6.. The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto was composed and performed by the Indian musician A. R. Rahman.
7.. A total of three heads of state from outside India attended the opening ceremony; two from Commonwealth nations and one from a non-Commonwealth nation. The three head of states are Mohamed Nasheed, President of the Maldives, Marcus Stephen, President of Nauru and a multiple Commonwealth gold medalist, and Prince Albert II of Monaco, whose country Monaco is not a member of the Commonwealth. As well, Sir Anand Satyanand, the Governor General of New Zealand (the first of Indian descent), attended the ceremony.
8.Final runner with Queen’s baton was Sushil kumar from India.
9. The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event which has been held every fourth year (except 1942 and 1946 during the outbreak of World War II) and features competitions involving thousands of elite athletes from members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
10. The event was first held in 1930 under the title of the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event was renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978. Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest achieving team for ten games, England for seven and Canada for one.
12. Lawn bowler Willie Wood from Scotland is the first competitor to have competed in seven Commonwealth Games, from 1974 to 2002. Also, Greg Yelavich, a sports shooter from New Zealand, has won 11 medals in seven games from 1986 to 2010.