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RITU SARINNEW DELHI, OCTOBER 3 PROBABLY the most expensive prop used for any sporting event anywhere in the world, it was pitched by the cultural committee as the wow factor of the 2010 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies. And it was.Imported from a British firm at a cost of Rs 38 crore, the aerostat weathered many storms before it was tethered at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium this evening. First, it was endless hours of bureaucratic discussions in New Delhi; then thunder and lightning marred its testing in Liverpool, and finally a number of problems crippled its operational use during the opening ceremony. But few spectators realised what else the aerostat was meant to do today. As it turned out, till just a few hours before the gala opening, key technical heads were still uncertain whether they should take the calibrated risk of raising the aerostat. And whether the aerostat should be raised before or after the arrival of the dignitaries. There was reportedly word from Rashtrapati Bhavan that ideally, the helium-filled balloon should be raised after the arrival of President Pratibha Patil. On a calm, windless evening, the sight of the 80m×40m balloon rising to the level of the highest tier at the stadium was indeed spectacular.As the organisers now admit, the presence of the gigantic prop in the stadiums central arena presented enormous problems. There were written security clearances to be procured from various agencies like the IntelligenceContinued on page 2 Dark clouds gone, Rs 38-cr aerostat becomes opening shows silver lining Bureau and the CPWD.Then with all the security and time constraints, the organisers realised that the areostat could not fly the 40-odd drummers and large-sized puppets attached to its belly. Eventually, live drummers performed on the ground as the puppets remained tethered to the aerostat.The worst aerostat crisis, perhaps, was the fact that two months before the opening ceremony, the lighting designer, Durhan Marenghi, was asked to leave New Delhi in rather dramatic circumstances. With the key designer gone, nobody knew how to operate the lights on the reflectors hung on the aerostst, forced to leave them as static props during the ceremony. The helium bird was also involved in a serious accident, with several of its sausages or inner balloons being damaged by rainfall. Experts said the aerostat had lost lost one-third of its buoyancy and, therefore its resale value as well.After the Games end, the aerostat will present another set of problems on what is to be done with it. The cultural committee is understood to have proposed that it should be taken around the country as a landmark exhibit but government officials want to keep it in the safe custody of the Sports Authority of India. Meanwhile, new projection videos are being prepared and special effects chosen for the use of the balloon for the closing ceremony. more...
Much like the collapsing stadiums, which were billed as world class initially, the R 50 crore helium showpiece -- aerostat -- for the Commonwealth Games cere- monies at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium al more...
Only the third Indian shot-putter to breach the 20m mark, Asian champion Om Prakash Singh is now aiming for a medal in the October Commonwealth Games after putting in a lot of hard work and praying for a little bit of luck. more...