The news that the government has cleared the bid for Ahmedabad to be the venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games brought back memories of the early 2000s when I was privileged to be part of the bidding delegation for Delhi to be the venue for the 2010 Games.
Suresh Kalmadi was the President of the Indian Olympic Association then and he invited me to be part of the delegation that went to Jamaica where the two cities that were bidding to be the venue for the 2010 Commonwealth Games had to make their presentation and make a pitch to the delegates from the countries that make up the Commonwealth countries to cast their votes in their favour.
Kalmadi had told me clearly that he hoped that I would be able to convince the cricket playing countries’ delegates to vote for Delhi as the venue. I was also the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee then, so it was taken that most of the delegates from these countries, even though they may not be connected with their country’s cricket boards, would be able to relate to me. Since the West Indies cricket team comprises different nations who play under their own flag in other competitions like the Olympics or Commonwealth or World Cups, they would all have a separate vote each.
My job, therefore, was to make them cast their vote in favour of Delhi. It wasn’t an easy one, but I found an ally in Ian Seely from Barbados. Now, Seely was also then in the International Olympic Committee, so he was a big wheel when it came to convincing the other Caribbean nations to vote for Delhi.
Fortunately, I had met him twice earlier and got to know him a bit better. The first time was in 1991 when I was invited for the unification dinner between the Black Cricket Board and the White Cricket Board of . Nelson Mandela had just been released and Sir Garfield Sobers and Seely had called on him just a day before the unification dinner. They were both gushing about Mr Mandela when the rest of the former cricketers from different countries met them at the cocktails. The next time I met Seely was in 1994, when the only time I was ICC match referee and had to go to London to get a visa for Barbados. He was the Barbados High Commissioner there and so we met again barely a few years after our meeting in South Africa.
Canada vs Delhi then
Now several years later in 2003 in Jamaica I gathered that Seely was in favour of the Canadian city that was Delhi’s competitor and so had to think of a way to convince him to go for Delhi. Pollution, health and cleanliness were all concerns being expressed about Delhi. I decided to change that narrative and try and make it about developing countries helping each other out with the ever so slight, but very subtle nudge, without actually expressing it about the colour aspect, too. It seemed to have worked as by the evening when there was a party thrown by both countries showcasing their cultural vistas to the delegates, the word getting around was that the Caribbean nations were for Delhi. The Zimbabwe delegate was the brother of the then President of Zimbabwe Union, so the connection was immediate as also with the Pakistan delegation, who recalled my faith in the Pakistan team that went on to win the 1992 Cricket World Cup and so promised their vote to Delhi as did the Lankans and Bangladesh.
Suresh Kalmadi was a dynamo on that trip and was up the whole night looking after the preparations for the cultural programme and going about minute details for the traditional decor from the lighting to rangoli. At the party to collect the Commonwealth Games flag on the last day of the 2006 Melbourne Games, Kalmadi was gracious and generous enough to praise my role in getting the delegates to get up and dance to the Marathi and other Indian song numbers during the cultural programme as the convincing point for the delegates to vote Delhi.
The next day I along with Anjali Bhagwat and Moorad Ali spoke at the official presentation after which the winner was to be announced. We waited nervously around in the hall for the votes to be counted and the official announcement to be made. Suresh had made an arrangement for a signal to show the result before the announcement and that was for one of the counting officials to put a pen in the top pocket of his coat if Delhi won. When the officials came out we saw the pen and were chuffed but had to hold our emotions in check till Delhi’s name was announced. It was a real thrill and I have tried my best to capture it in words now.
Pitches and speeches matter
Hopefully, the bidding delegation for Ahmedabad will contain former sportspersons with a connection to the voting countries. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid come immediately to mind as also , Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza to name a few. Their pitches and their speeches can be hugely contributory factors for Ahmedabad to get the nod.
And if the usually ebullient Paes can get the delegates to dance at the cultural programme then Ahmedabad will be a shoo-in for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.