The ‘accidental legacy’ of Commonwealth Games 2010

Abstract

A year has passed since Delhi hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games and justly there is increased focus on the legacy aspect of the mega spectacle. With the lead up mired in controversy because of issues of corruption and malpractice, can the Games, remembered more for its associated scams than India's athletic achievements, redeem itself in the long term? Tired of dealing with the corrupt official in power and tired of hearing the same excuse over and over again, the Commonwealth Games experience triggered mass mobilization on a scale hardly seen in India over the last two decades. This unprecedented mass mobilization against corruption, triggered in many respects by a failed Games experience, is its accidental legacy and will forever make it a pivotal event in India's sporting and more importantly the political history.