Commonwealth Games close

DELHI – The 2010 Commonwealth Games, surprisingly successful against all odds, ended Thursday with a stunning and sentimental closing that had as much security as pomp after British media reports indicated terrorists may have targeted the ceremony and the Metro transit lines to Nehru Stadium.

"They picked a wrestler and weightlifter as extra security," quipped gold-medallist grappler Ohenawa Akuffo, chosen along with gold-medallist lifter Christine Girard, as honorary athletes to accompany four-medallist cyclist and closing ceremonies flag-bearer Tara Whitten of Edmonton at the front of the Canadian delegation.

The Canadian team was nearly 400-strong at these 19th Commonwealth Games.

Canadian athletes, by and large, gave the Games passing grades and said they trusted the massive security arrangements that had been laid on.

"I’m not going to miss a thing of the Games. I’m taking it all in, including the closing," said lawn bowler Hirendra Bharpu of Nanaimo, B.C., for whom these Games are the pinnacle because his is not an Olympic sport.

Akuffo and Girard concurred.

"These Games have been amazingly memorable for me and I will not forget India on so many levels, including the amazing job India did on security for us," said Akuffo.

"This was memorable in so many different ways," added Quebecer Girard.

"I was fourth in Beijing (2008 Summer Olympics) so gold at Delhi is a really good start toward London (2012 Summer Olympics)."

Yet, despite the 26 gold and 75 total medals here, Canada fell out of the top three in the overall medals table at a Commonwealth Games for the first time since Perth in 1962 – a streak of 11 consecutive Games over 48 years.

But it’s not time to panic ahead of London 2012, said Scott Stevenson, director of sport for Commonwealth Games Canada.

"We learned a lot going forward as we prepare for London. Our medal objectives were between 75-80 and we got that, but we anticipated that would again get us in the top three," said Stevenson.

"What we did not anticipate was our counterparts in India doing as well as they did (38 golds and 101 total for second place, in the international standard based on golds, behind Australia’s 74-176 and England’s 37-142). Our hats go off to them and congratulations to India. It is a testament to the value of hosting Games. Everybody gets a hosting bump, but this was the most significant we have seen. India had exceptional talent and depth across the board – their obvious favourites and world championships medallists delivered and were augmented by diamonds in the rough who came out of nowhere – and their strong coaching was evident in the results. This is a good competition. There were no easy medals here."

Canada experienced that same hosting bump when it topped the gold medal count in February at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

"The value of hosting a Games can’t be discounted," said Tom Jones, the former volleyball Olympian, now CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada.

"Call it the India Effect. We saw it in Vancouver earlier this year. But what the Indians did here is even more unbelievable, in fact it’s almost beyond belief, because they more than doubled their medal count from Melbourne (2006 Commonwealth Games)."

During the closing ceremony, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit passed the Games flag on to Robert Winter, Lord Provost of Glasgow, the Scottish city that will host the next Commonwealth Games in 2014. Then an eloquent lone piper played, before 352 tartan-kilted performers suddenly appeared behind him.

Prince Edward, vice-patron of the Commonwealth Games Federation, declared: "The 19th Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 closed, and in accordance with tradition I call upon the sportsmen and sportswomen of the Commonwealth to assemble in four years time in Glasgow, Scotland, to there celebrate the 20th Commonwealth Games."

This all didn’t seem possible in the messy organizational lead-up to these Delhi Games.

Michael Fennell of Jamaica, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, in his closing news conference said he remembers constantly being asked: "When are you going to announce cancellation of these Games and if I had a Plan B? Well, Plan B was always Delhi. And Delhi has performed."

Delhi came through, agreed Jones.

"I base everything on what the athletes say and we surveyed the Canadian team and every athlete told us they had a great experience here in Delhi," said Jones.