Having lived with/through the Manchester Commonwealth Games and now living in Glasgow, I feel that somehow the Commonwealth Games connect with who and what I am in some way.
I lived in a 'rough' part of Manchester, famed for gang-violence, drugs and prostitution, but far from the poorest part of this proud and diverse city. I saw cynicism and scepticism aplenty, experienced the 'will it be ready on time' anxieties that affect even wealthy nations in times of relative economic stability. I saw the arterial/corridor road near my home refreshed and bedecked with lovely flowers so that people coming in would not see how scruffy we had become - and to be fair eight years on much of that proved more than mere window dressing. I saw a warm-hearted industrial city welcome the world and stage an amazing event. I watched world class sports made accessible by sensible ticket prices (some events were free, most began at £5) and was part of something special.
The last couple of weeks I've watched a lot of coverage from Delhi - an ideal occupation when energy levels are low and so much more entertaining than average daytime TV. A lot of the negativity made me cross, arrogant western criticism rather than constructive comment. All the events happened with minimal hiccups, some tremendous results were achieved by competitors and Delhi did a good job. I can recall being offered free tickets to see early rounds of boxing in Manchester because almost no one was buying them - near empty stadia are not unknown. I can recall technical hitches, minor delays and other disruptions along the way. Memory is short and selective. Delhi had some great moments, some warm-glow human stories and some quirky and funny moments (did you see the volunteer/official slip from the diving board in the video montage?). For me, India did a good job in staging this event. It is a relatively 'young' nation, populous, poor and with many challenges; rather than rude remarks we should be hoping that when the media circus leaves town the locals do indeed see the promised benefits.
And so on to Glasgow. I enjoyed the Scottish arena show, complete with inflatable 'squinty bridge' (I think) 'armadillo' and 'Nessie', the skirl of the pipes and images of the Highlands. I enjoyed the energy and dynamism of this multi-cutlural, warm industrial city as projected on a world stage. Of course, back home there is cynicism and scepticism, apathy and ambivalence aplenty. There is four years to transform areas of wasteland into a stunning event, and there are real people here in Glasgow facing the some of the same challenges as the real people in Delhi.
At Manchester 2002 my highlight was watching the netball finals - England managed to lose the bronze medal match to Jamaica on that occasion and the Australia/New Zealand final was simply electric. My longer term 'to do' list now includes watching the final in Glasgow, no longer a taken for granted plan, but a hopeful aspiration - because that is, isn't it, part of what the Commonwealth Games are about - not just elite atheletes showcasing their lottery-funded advantage, but ordinary people aspiring to be part of something amazing. Of course, if by 2014 Scotland can muster a world class netball team I'll shout for them, but I suspect it'll have to be England... sorry folks.
