Fear of evil drives boxer Vijender to mom dear (Games Sidelights)

NEW DELHI - India’s Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh was everyone’s favourite to win the gold at the Commonwealth Games. In fact, one of his bouts was watched by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

But the handsome lad suffered a shocking loss in the semifinals against English player Anthony Ogogo.

Now, he is blaming it all on the evil eye.

I know why I was knocked out. It was all evil eye. I am going to tell my mom to conduct some rituals to get rid of it, said the dejected looking boxer.

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Saina holds back media

So charged were they with her game that the media who went to report Saina Nehwal’s badminton final match Thursday refused to budge from their seats despite repeated requests that buses which were to ferry them to the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium for the closing ceremony were waiting for them.

The match, which finally ended at around 3 p.m., saw Saina clinch the gold - making the crowd at the Siri Fort sports complex erupt with joy. Only then did the journos make their way to the now impatiently waiting buses

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‘Munni badnaam hui’ at Games Village

All sports and no Bollywood seems to have made the young volunteers so dull that they are thronging the TV screens to catch some masala whenever possible. And the all time favourite is the recent chartbuster item number Munni badnaam hui from Salman Khan’s hit Dabangg.

Whenever they get time, they turn on the television to watch some songs and dances. So, whenever actress Malika Arora comes on television, they all huddle around to watch the song in high definition TV.

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When a business tycoon visited

Many were surprised to see Subroto Roy, the head of Sahara India, at the Karni Singh Shooting Range Wednesday. However, ace shooter Gagan Narang, who won four gold medals in the pairs and individual events of the 10 metres air rifle and 50 metre three positions, lost.

It was expected that after winning four gold medals, Narang would triumph in the individual and the pairs event of his last event, the 50 metre prone. But his luck ran out. Narang, however, looked quite cheerful when Subroto Roy came to talk to him. Both talked to each other for few minutes, before Roy walked away.

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Navratra spirit at Village

The volunteers might be giving the festival activities outside the Games Village a miss, but they surely making up for it by remembering the goddess by greeting each other in her name.

The red and white track suit clad volunteers can be heard chanting Jai mata di in unison every now and then leaving the visitors bemused.

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Honour thy nation

Volunteers at the Village might be having a gala time now, as the athletes are returning home and there is less work for them. But, they sure are patriotic.

A group of volunteers were chatting and were generally having a good time when suddenly they heard the national anthem being played by television after an Indian win. All of them stooped talking and stood up.

An Organising Committee official, who was also sitting on one side, questioned them on why they standing, one of them replied only after the anthem got over — That’s our national anthem, sir. The official was left with no choice but to stay mum in shame.

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Police’s gold list

Its not just volunteers who are feeling patriotic. Its the policemen on duty too.

Delhi Police officials, on duty in the Village and oblivious of the daily wins by the country at the games, are keeping themselves updated by seeking India’s fate in tournaments by asking the media at checkpoints.

If they hear about a gold, pat comes a smile on the face and they enter into a healthy discussion and dare one say bronze or a loss, what follows is venom.