Most of the sports heroes from the city, including former India cricket captains Dilip Vengsarkar and Ajit Wadekar and ex-hockey skipper Dhanraj Pillay gave the event a skip.
Just how can anything related to the Commonwealth Games get away smoothly?
On Friday, when the Queen’s baton arrived in the city from Pune, there was just one striking moment. Quite unlike the rest of the CWG related issues, the baton reached the Gateway of India without delay of even a single second.
This, of course, raised the hopes of those present that they would witness something special at the relay.
But that wasn’t to be the case.
Most of the sports heroes from the city, including former India cricket captains Dilip Vengsarkar and Ajit Wadekar and ex-hockey skipper Dhanraj Pillay gave the event a skip.
Pillay boycotted the event after being ‘insulted’ by the organisers, the state sports directorate. “The way they invited me was a shame. I wasn’t expecting anything grand from them, but they called me from a fellow athlete’s number a couple of days ago and just ordered me to be present at the Gateway by 11.30 am. This is not the way you invite anyone for a state function,” a miffed Pillay told DNA.
Apparently, Pillay wasn’t the only victim. Sources said hockey Olympian MM Somaya, one of the relay runners, was asked for identification by the volunteers. Somaya, however, denied any such incident. “Nothing like that happened. I was honoured to be a part of the baton relay. It is a big thing for us sportspersons. It was a proud moment indeed,” Somaya said.
The sportspersons present at the function included former national table tennis champion Kamlesh Mehta, chess Grandmaster Praveen Thipsay, his wife Bhagyashree Thipsay, Arjuna Awardee Adil Sumariwala, former badminton players Pradeep Gandhe and Gauri Ghate and national level basketball player Surbhi Mudgal.
The event by itself wasn’t a great spectacle. With the public not allowed inside the cordoned area, it drew a rather lukewarm response.
After a short function at the Lion Gate, including a 1.5km relay stretch that took a halt on board submarine INS Sindhuvijay, the baton was escorted to the flight deck of aircraft carrier INS Virat. It was then brought to the Gateway of India in a Harbour Defence Boat, escorted by six other boats. With the general public kept away due to security reasons, the baton was welcomed at the Gateway of India, amid a shower of flower petals from a Chetak helicopter, by politicians, policemen, media, and not to forget the sportspersons.
What followed was nothing short of chaos. With the politicians, led by chief minister Ashok Chavan, taking the centre stage at the Gateway, and the sportspersons sidelined, the event cut a rather sorry picture. The short two kilometer relay culminated at the Mumbai University.
CWG mascot Shera, meanwhile, wandered alone in bewilderment, perhaps hoping that the main event will fare a bit better when it begins next month.
Delhi Games to be the biggest ever in terms of participation
Around 7000 athletes and officials including close to 600 Indians would take part in Commonwealth Games, making it the biggest in the history of the quadrennial sporting event in terms of participation.
The Delhi Games is all set to break the record of 2006 Melbourne Games, where approximately 5,800 athletes and team officials were in attendance, organising committee said.
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