Commonwealth Games

[TBWG]

Hi Bums

Irrespective of what has been written about the facilities or lack of them for the Commonwealth games in Delhi I have just watched the opening ceremony and been pretty impressed.

What seemed like tens of thousands of people involved in the colourful well choreographed performance  which I thought was pretty entertaining and ran without any hitches.
                                                     
However what happens in the games themselves remains to be seen.

This got me thinking about the Olympic games in London, afterall 2012 is not that far away now!

But not to worry our opening ceremony is bound to be a blinder, rumor has it that it is to be hosted by Brucie and his rug (good game - good game) and will feature such national treasures as Ant & Dec Morris Dancing, Percy's performing ferret's and a nude bog snorkelling exhibition finishing with the 6 dozen sparkler spectacular! Thats if there is any spare in the £5k budget!

Can't wait


TBWG

[Admin]

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years in which all the member nations and territories of the Commonwealth of Nations participate in a multi-sport event which features competitions involving thousands of elite athletes. The Commonwealth Games are one of the world's largest multi-sport events.

The Commonwealth Games include many Olympic sports and also some sports that are played mainly in Commonwealth nations like lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball. The apex international body that organises and oversees the Commonwealth Games is the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities.

The Commonwealth Games were first held in 1930 as the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada. The event was renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and from 1978 are named as the Commonwealth Games.

Delhi, the capital of India, is hosting the XIX Commonwealth Games from 3 October 2010.

[garytaffy]

Have just been watching some of the highlights on the news.It looks like there are more competitors than spectators. Not sure for the reasons behind it but must be depressing for all concerned as the atmosphere seems non existent...................hockey, swimming, tabletennis, badminton to name a few. Doubt if London will have this issue as no doubt corporate hospitality have already hoovered up most tickets as is usual for any big events.

[TBWG]

CWG latest


India condemns 'racist' remarks by New Zealand TV host
Sheila Dikshit Ms Dikshit said the remarks were inappropriate

India has condemned "racist and bigoted" remarks by a New Zealand TV presenter who made fun of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's surname.

TVNZ breakfast show host Paul Henry broke into laughter a number of times as he mispronounced the surname - which sounds closer to "Dixit" in English.

He told viewers Ms Dikshit's name was "appropriate because she's Indian".

New Zealand's government has apologised for the remarks, describing them as "culturally insensitive and vulgar".

Sheila Dikshit is overseeing arrangements for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, which have been beset by problems. She brushed off Mr Henry's remarks but said they were "not appropriate".
Continue reading the main story

India's foreign ministry summoned the New Zealand high commissioner on Thursday and registered a strong protest against Mr Henry's comments.

"It is shocking that such bigoted views have been aired by a representative of a mainstream media organisation of a multi-ethnic democracy like New Zealand," India's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"These remarks are totally unacceptable to India and should be condemned by all right-thinking people and nations."

High Commissioner Rupert Holborow "regretted the deep hurt caused by the comments of the media commentator", the statement added.

Mr Henry's comments were broadcast last week on the state-owned channel TVNZ, but took a few days to be noticed in India. In the footage, Mr Henry mispronounces Ms Dikshit's surname several times - apparently deliberately.

He added: "It's so appropriate because she's Indian... I've known about her for a while and I've been laughing ever since."

His on-air colleagues pointed out that he was pronouncing the name wrongly on several occasions.

On Tuesday, TVNZ suspended Mr Henry for two weeks for questioning whether the country's Indo-Fijian Governor General, Anand Satyanand, was a proper New Zealander.

"Is he even a New Zealander?" Mr Henry asked Prime Minister John Key on Monday.

The channel said that Mr Henry had "well and truly crossed the line" with his comments on Mr Satyanand. It has not yet commented on his remarks about Ms Dikshit.

Mr Henry has a reputation for controversial comments.

He once described Scottish singer Susan Boyle as "retarded" and accused a female guest from Greenpeace of having a moustache, New Zealand press reports say.



TBWG