Commonwealth sportsmen inspire Indians
Millions of Indians across the country had the time of their lives as the enjoyed the sporting action in New Delhi where athletes from all over the World converged to take part in the Commonwealth Games that concluded two days ago.
A glittering closing ceremony marked the event, which was the biggest sporting extravaganza in the country in the last three decades.
The fans across the country had many reasons to cheer throughout the 12 day competition that saw many local athletes giving some stunning performances to make a mark at the international level.
Similarly sport fans in Rohtak city of India's northern Haryana state thoroughly enjoyed the performances of their local athletes at the 2010 CW Games athletes. The event has left a lasting legacy for the upcoming sportsmen in the country.
On the other hand games like boxing and wrestling had to struggle to make a name but some stunning performances have given the country some other sporting legends besides their cricketers, who are adored all over.
The Indians were elated with the performance of players like Paramjeet Samota, Suranjoy Mayengbam Singh and Manoj Kumar in boxing and Yogeshwar Dutt in wrestling in the Commonwealth Games 2010 and now many across the country want to emulate them in future international competitions.
Talking to media persons, a local student alluded to the fact that other sports that never had the limelight are now becoming popular especially after the host country bagged many Gold Medals in these games.
He added that the excitement was palpable every time an Indian athlete won a medal in the sporting extravaganza.
"Earlier, wrestling was not a popular game among the people but now we have won the medals at the international level for which people think that wrestling is a good game and now people have let their children to take up the game", said the student.
The upcoming boxers from the rest of the country are also taking inspiration from their compatriots, who have given them the belief that they can compete in other sports besides cricket.
A local boxer claimed that the performance of the pugilists was extremely encouraging for all those, who want to make a name for themselves in international competitions.
"We watched the wrestling matches of the Commonwealth Games and got inspired by the achievements of Indian players. And we thought we can also give our best and learned a lot from these wrestlers; we will also try to perform like them", said Manoj, a boxer.
Meanwhile, similar sentiments were expressed by an upcoming wrestler, Ishwar Singh, who told media that the government is now showing interest in the games.
He added that there was some work being done to provide sports infrastructure needed for practice.
"Earlier, we used to think that nobody can make a career in boxing, but now our interest grew since the time we won so many medals in boxing".
He added that the keenness of the government was apparent after the event:
“Yes, the government is showing interest and now we have been provided a coach and other facilities too", said Ishwar Singh, a Wrestler.
He is confident that such steps would help in getting the sport the requisite funds and ensure that the athletes have a proper support system in place for them.
The Games 2010 began amidst chaos and controversies. There were serious doubts about the facilities in Games Village as well as various sporting venues where various sports were held.
The event eventually turned out to be a roaring success for the hosts, as some unforgettable performances from the Indian contingent, made people forget the hitches and glitches of the games.
The hosts had a rich haul of 38 golds in the Games that elevated them to the second spot behind eventual champions Australia.
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