Navdeep Singh Gill
SaIn 2010, India was hosting the Commonwealth Games for the first time. October 14 was the last day of the Games in New Delhi and India was third in the medal tally with 36 gold medals. England, running at number two, had won 37 gold medals. Australia had secured the top position with more than 70 gold medals. India needed two gold medals to finish second, as England was well ahead of hosts India in winning silver medals.
On the last day, India’s players were playing three finals and with two wins it could have overtaken England. Two finals in badminton, women’s doubles and singles; The third final was in men’s category in hockey. Indian duo Jawala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa took a step forward by winning the 37th gold medal for India in the first badminton final at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. Now there was a difference of one gold medal between India and England. In Badminton, Saina Nehwal was scheduled to play Malaysia’s Myo Wong in the final; On the other hand, the Indian men’s hockey team was to play the final match against Australia at the Major Dhyan Chand National Hockey Stadium, 10 km away from the badminton court.
The time of badminton final and hockey final was same. The eyes of Indian sports lovers were on both the finals and the sports lovers present in New Delhi were also reaching the hockey stadium and the badminton court as well. Many sports lovers were keen to watch both the matches but due to the same time, they reached only one place. Officials of the organizing committee of the games also reached both the places. The then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh preferred to watch hockey matches; His wife Gursharan Kaur decided to encourage Saina Nehwal by reaching the badminton court.
Australia dominated the hockey match from the beginning. Australian players began to score high goals. In the end, Australia defeated India 8-0 and won the gold medal. Dr. present in the field Disappointment can be clearly seen on the faces of the Indian sports officials and spectators including Manmohan Singh, like the then President Giani Zail Singh after India lost 1-7 to Pakistan in the final of the Asian Games in the same stadium in New Delhi 28 years ago. Indian sports spectators including Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were disappointed. After the final of the Commonwealth Games, Dr. Manmohan Singh met the players of both the teams and congratulated them.
On the other hand, Saina Nehwal lost the first game 19-21 after a tough fight at the hands of Mio Wong. A group of sports lovers including Gursharan Kaur were cheering for Saina in the audience gallery. Saina made a strong comeback to win the second game 23-21 in the tiebreaker. Now there was a difference of one game win between Saina’s victory and India’s second position. In the third game, Saina showed a furious pace and won the game 21-13 to win India’s 38th gold medal. India finished second for the first time in the history of the Commonwealth Games. After winning the final, Saina was emotional and threw her magic racket towards the audience which was caught by a spectator. Saina became so emotional that she even threw the towel handed to Saina, drenched in sweat, towards the audience and was caught by a policeman. Gursharan Kaur was congratulating India’s great player by clapping. The next day some newspapers had the headline – ‘Gursharan Kaur won, Manmohan Singh lost.’
Known for his calm nature and expert in economic affairs, Dr. Manmohan Singh truly loved the players. Instead of sitting with political leaders, they watched the hockey final with former hockey Olympians. Ajit Pal Singh, captain of the 1975 Hockey World Cup winning Indian team, Olympian Ashok Kumar Dhyan Chand, son of Major Dhyan Chand, Olympian Zafar Iqbal, Olympian Colonel Balbir Singh were sitting with him. The Chief Minister of Delhi at that time Sheila Dixit, President of Sports Committee Suresh Kalmadi and Union Sports Minister Dr. Manohar Singh Gill was sitting with a little difference. Hockey Olympians were with the Prime Minister even while having a cup of tea after the match.
After the end of the Commonwealth Games, Dr. Manmohan Singh also held a tea party in honor of the medal winning Indian sportsmen at his residence at Race Course Road, although some of the sportsmen could not reach because they had already gone to their homes, but hockey players and badminton players were present there. Dr. Manmohan Singh introduced his wife to the hockey team. Gursharan Kaur was very excited to meet Saina Nehwal. Maybe they would introduce Saina and say, “I won, you lost.”
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