Though India was a front-runner in the contest, as it had never hosted the event before, it was a last minute offer to spend 7.2 million US dollars for the promotion of sports in member nations that clinched the result in its favour. New Delhi won with 42 votes to Hamilton’s 22, at the Commonwealth Federation Meet in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Luminaries who represented India included amongst others Suresh Kalmadi, the President of Olympic Council of India, Mr. Randhir Singh, Vice- President OCI, ace shooter Anjali Bhagwat, legendary Sunil Gavaskar and former Miss India Celina Jaitely.
Though the Commonwealth Games were organised for the first time in Canada in 1930 at Hamilton, they have the echoes of their origin in distant past in 1891, when Rev Astley Cooper suggested of holding of a Pan- Britannic Pan-Anglican contest and festival, as a means to promote goodwill and friendship in the British Empire. But it took another four decades for his idea to materialize, when over 4 hundred athletes from eleven nations participated, in the first Games held at Hamilton in 1930. The sporting events included Athletics, Boxing, Land Bowls, Wrestling, Swimming, and Rowing. At the time of inception they were called the British Empire Games. But slowly as political changes swept across the globe and the British Empire changed into Commonwealth, the games underwent many changes of name. In 1950 they were renamed as British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In 1966 it changed to British Commonwealth Games. The final transformation came about in 1974, when the Games took on their present name.
The chronology of the past editions of Games is as follows; Hamilton in Canada (1930), London in England (1934), Sydney in Australia (1938), Auckland in New Zealand (1950), Vancouver in Canada (1954), Cardiff in England (1958), Perth in Australia (1962), Kingston in Jamaica (1966), Edinburgh in Scotland (1970), Christchurch in New Zealand (1974), Edmonton in Canada (1978), Brisbane in Australia (1982), Edinburgh in Scotland (1986), Auckland in New Zealand (1990), Victoria in Canada (1994), Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia (1998) and Manchester in England(2002)
If we scrutinize this list we find that pro- white and pro -rich bias in the allotment of the Games quite evident. Except on two occasions, Commonwealth Games have never been held outside of the group of four of UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is perhaps this reason more than anything else, which helped India to win the vote against Canada. India even got support from an unexpected quarter when Pakistan supported India’s bid to host the Games. Pakistani delegation felt that holding of the Games in India would give a boost to sports in the subcontinent.
New Delhi has an Indian government guaranteed Games budget of $553-million in its favour. Already in place-- though in need of refurbishing -- are a 78,000-seat main stadium (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium), a 25,000-seat stadium and a 6,000-seat aquatic centre. But to avoid extreme heat, the Indian authorities have proposed falls dates of: Oct. 15 to Nov. 3. India will also lobby hard to include Cricket in the ambit of Commonwealth Games 2010.
Buoyant with the successful conduct of Afro-Asian Games and full fledged support of the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee , the Indian delegation to the Commonwealth Federation led by Kalmadi, resorted to some extra-ordinary measures to turn the outcome of vote in its favour.
