Hosting of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 in India was a tremendous honour and joy, not only for Indians at home, but also for Indians the world over. India went from winning 1 medal to 101 medals, in 76 years and secured an overall standing of 2nd in the final medal count. The spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, embroidered with the rich heritage of India, were a testament to the world that India has arrived. The Commonwealth Games were over last year, but the "smell of the games and its success will remain on the soil of Mother India" for a long time to come.
In 2011 India, again played a major role in the world sports, by hosting 14 of the 49 World Cup Cricket matches, organized by the ICC in India, with the final match at the Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai. This time, India made history by bringing home the World Cup after 28 years. The jubilant crowds and the sea of tricolor sweeping the nation will forever remain etched in the minds of Indians all over the world.
And finally, Indian athletes did their best ever by bringing home 64 medals including 14 golds during the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou China , which is India's second best performance ever since inception of the Asian Games in 1951.
But this has not just been an amazing time for sports in India. Last year, following the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I had the exciting privilege of visiting two figure skating silver medalist's from the Vancouver 2010 games, back stage during the Smucker's Stars On Ice show in Boston. Meryl Davis and Charlie White, two American figure skaters, for the first time in the Olympic history performed routines on Indian bollywood music at the games. They wore Indian outfits and looked so natural and perfect as they skated to the famous "mere chain-vain sab ujaraa" number from 'Bunty and Babli' movie. Meryl Davis and Charlie White are the current world champions (first in US history to ever win the world championship title in ice dancing) and 3 times US national champions.So, kudos to the Indian athletes and the Indian Olympic Committee for putting on the best show ever.
-Kumu Gupta( Kumu Gupta is on the Board of Director's of a non profit museum , whose founder took part in all Winter Olympics, since Lake Placid (1980) as part of the Nordic Ski Patrol team and often has been the only American to represent the US in an international team of ski Patrol' er's at the Olympics.Kumu Gupta is the first Indian American to sing the American National Anthem at a Giants baseball game)
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