Delhi: Vision Commonwealth

(I believe the best comedy is often sattire... What got me to write this post is a hoarding that i happened to see by chance)On a random day trip across Delhi, odds are you would see hoardings that have been put up by the Delhi government extolling how Delhi is moving up, in gear to meet the status of host of the Commonweath Games, happening in 2010. The two points on the we-have-done-it list is the Delhi Metro and the 150 odd low floor red environment friendly busses that have been pressed to service by the DTC. (I am betting that next on that list would be the 4.4 km runway of the IG airpot). Not withstanding the fact that the commonwealth "village" would be a sort of an ecological disaster for Yamuna and we ostensibly lack any serious action from anywhere to meet up to the games standards, Delhi marches ahead full steam for the 2010 rendezvous.In the mean time, its also priming up its hapless million denizens. The floods in the low lying areas of Yamuna are not to be mis interpreted as a calamity. From the Commonwealth perspective, lets look at it from an opportunity stand point, where we can identify the Mark Phelps equivalent in India. Dont wade, just swim and by the way, if you actually save your life, lives of others and some belongings, thats a bonus. The swimming association in India (or what ever it is, that controls water sports) would do well to constitute a "x" member panel/board consisting of those swimmers, who in earlier Olympics, Asian, Commonwealth, National or State Games have done the honours of representing this country/state/tehsil/panchayat. That they didnot win any medal, is an incidental omission. (Haven't you heard that participation with spirit is more important than winning).Moving on from water to land, (or what ever is left of it). Only a few days back, one of the RJs in one of the FM stations pulled a fast one comparing the roads of Delhi to Om Puri's face. (Personally i found it demeaning to an actor of Om Puri's status, but that is a different issue altogether). Coming back to the roads of Delhi, I sense a grand conspiracy to get all those unhealthy car driving executives and businessmen off their perches (i.e Car Seats). They anyway travel @ snail speed and kill time and create a lot of black smoked pollution. Walk/Run/Jump.... commute in style. That way you will have a fitter generation of Delhiites and a better chance to spot the India Asafa Powell/Tyson Gay/Griffith Joyner, who ever you wanted to spot in the first place. So then are we going about setting a 100 member comittee to spot the talent around on the pot holled roads of Delhi?Abhinav Bindra takes care of the shooting bit actually. But we could do more with the brawn of Sushil/Vijender. Watch out for the roadside altercations-turning-into-brawls on the roads of Delhi. The other outcome of such incidents being two cars, one with a positively ruined derriere and the other with a heavily damaged bonnet! Tempers flare and fists come easy actually. There is Vijender II/Sushil II out there waiting to be discovered.I am so dissapointed about that fact that car racing doesnot feature in these games.Do you think any Schumi/Alonso/Raikonnen would match upto our over zealous Blue Line pilots, who over speed, out brake, out manneuvre, out kill in the same breath actually. I vote that we raise a petition to the commonwealth games committee's to tell them how sorely they have been missing the racing spectacle which would be a treat on the Indian roads.The other sport amiss is one in which Delhi's favourite son Virender Sehwag eats drinks and does not-even-fart ballers for breakfast, Lunch and Dinners. Not thathe was enough, now we have Gambhir for company. Hey they ont even have golf for CW, else it would a little improvisation and adjust game for these two. Gold again for India!So then thats a pretty good starting point for Delhi's efforts on Commonwealth and i am sure we are looking good.