Closing Ceremony- 44 crore Helium Balloon echoes Kalmadi's boring Speech

Posted: Thu Oct 14 2010, 00:25 hrs New Delhi:
"It was like a big, fat Indian wedding." This was how some of the spectators described the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games tonight, which proved to be a dampener after the spectacular opening 12 days ago.

The opening extravaganza on October 3 had showcased thousands of years of Indian civilisation and culture and had swept away all the gloom that preceded the games marred by corruption, inefficiency, mismanagement and delays.

Ironically, the presentation by the Games' next host Scotland was probably the best part of the closing ceremony witnessed by a packed crowd of some 60,000 fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. 'Vande Mataram' item presented by Delhi school children was was yet another highlight.

The glitzy Rs 44 crore worth aerostat that was the centre of attraction during the Opening Ceremony also remained dormant laying suspended 25 metres above the ground except for the occasional videos that were played on the 360 degree projection surface of the aerostat.

The only time that the world's largest helium balloon actually came alive in all its colours was when the 'golden moments' of the Games was played out and also when the Scots performed.

In stark contrast, during the Opening Ceremony, the aerostat had captivated everyone inside the stadium.

To add to the boredom, there were speeches galore, the longest by the Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who was roundly booed to start with.

He thanked all and sundry including Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, City Police Commissioner etc etc.

Top singers like Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kailash Kher, Usha Uthup, Shaan, Ila Arun, Shobha Mudgul, and Shankar Mahadevan lent a touch of Punjabi wedding ambience when they crooned some popular numbers.

Even the Army bands played stale tunes heard over the years at the traditional "Beating the Retreat" ceremony during the Republic Day celebrations.
CWG closing ceremony a big dampener

Comment
Will Kalmadi ever face an enquiry on the fraud committed on the Citizens of the Nation? His Pride as an Air Force Pilot is a National Disgrace.