Bravo India!, says happy global media
A day after the Commonwealth Games ended here as spectacularly as it began, the international media hailed India and the host city for organising one of the world's best sporting events.
A day after the Commonwealth Games ended here as spectacularly as it began, the international media hailed India and the host city for organising one of the world's best sporting events.
From Canada to New Zealand and from Africa to Australia, and closer home from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, commentators and officials showered praise on the conduct of the Games that at times looked like being called off.
The New Zealand Herald praised India, saying "Delhi far exceeded expectations. As the Games ended Thursday, Delhi had them in good order."
"For a Games where all the (Western media) talk going in was about cancellation, and where athletes bailed out pre-Games for fears over their safety and hygiene, Delhi far exceeded expectations," it said.
Britain's Daily Telegraph commented: "Indians have a right to feel warm about their justified claims that the Commonwealth Games were reasonably well run. This was New Delhi with its best."
Australian and Pakistani newspapers paid glowing tributes but it did not spare the Indian organisers.
The fault-finding Canadian media praised the closing ceremony as "sparkling" and "spectacular" but called the event "one of most dramatic and challenged editions of the (Commonwealth) Games".
Dikshit managed to save Games
London: England, Scotland and Australia were close to pulling out from the Commonwealth Games, but for the last minute intervention of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to salvage the event, a top British Games official has revealed.
"She really did kick shit" that is how Dame Kelly Holmes, President of the Commonwealth Games England, put it.
"Every day for two weeks we had board meetings and conferences. It was close, of course it was," 'The Guardian' quoted the British official as saying.
"It was only when the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit got involved with the organisation of the Games at the last minute that Britain (and I think Australia and Scotland) made the decision to go ahead," Holmes said.
Third Nigerian runner fails doping test
New Delhi: A third Nigerian runner has failed a doping test at the Games and been stripped of two silver medals. Folashade Abugan tested positive for a steroid and waived her right to have a "B" sample tested, the CGF announced on Friday.
She won silver medals in the 400 metres and 4x400-meter relay.
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