'Welcome to India! Welcome to these Games! The people of India are delighted to host the Commonwealth Games in this historic city. It is is a proud moment for the countrymen,' Manmohan Singh said.
He said it was 'the spirit of participation and sportsmanship and not winning or losing' in the Games that unites the Commonwealth nations 'as one large family'.
The prime minister said these Games were being organised to 'uphold the spirit' of friendship between countries.
Manmohan Singh said the next two weeks will witness the 'contest of human skill'. India, he said, would celebrate the sporting event.
Spotlight : Common Wealth Games 2010
The 2010 Common wealth Games will be the nineteenth Commonwealth Games, and the ninth to be held under that name. The Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India between 3 October and 14 October 2010. The games will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi and India, which has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium, in Delhi. It will also be the first time the Commonwealth Games is held in India and the second time the event has been held in Asia (after 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
