PM Manmohan Singh’s relationship with sports activities: From internet hosting CWG to sturdy Indo-Pak cricketing ties

Tributes poured in from all over the world whereas the nation went right into a state of mourning after former Prime Minister of India
Dr Manmohan Singh handed away on the age of 92 in New Delhi on Thursday. Dr Singh, who died of age-related medical situations after being rushed to AIIMS within the nationwide capital, is broadly credited as a pioneer of financial reforms within the nation.

It was throughout his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 in the course of the PV Narasimha Rao-led authorities when key liberalising financial reforms have been launched, rescuing the nation from the brink of a monetary collapse and laying the inspiration for India’s rise as a world financial energy.

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Manmohan Singh’s enduring legacy in Indian financial system

Dr Singh, who accomplished his Economics Tripos from the College of Cambridge and later pursued DPhil from the College of Oxford, would later develop into the primary Sikh Prime Minister of the nation after the United Progressive Alliance emerged triumphant within the 2004 Normal Elections. 5 years later, Dr Singh would develop into the primary PM to be re-elected after serving his full time period in workplace since Jawaharlal Nehru.

Not solely did the nation witness extraordinary financial progress throughout his tenure as PM, with the Gross Home Product (GDP) progress reaching a document excessive of 10.08 per cent in 2006-07, India additionally additionally witnessed a number of firsts throughout this time interval when it got here to sports activities.

As we bid farewell to one of many longest-serving Prime Ministers who was broadly revered for his intelligence in addition to for his integrity, which even earned him the respect of politicians from the opposition, we check out a number of the key moments in Indian sport throughout his tenure from 2004 to 2014:

India hosts the 2010 Commonwealth Video games

It was in the course of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA authorities in 2010 when India hosted the Commonwealth Video games (CWG) for the primary, and as of 2024, the one time. The nineteenth version of the Commonwealth Video games, which options nations that have been beforehand a part of the British Empire, was additionally the primary main multi-sporting occasion going down because the 1982 Asian Video games in New Delhi.

India did co-host main tournaments reminiscent of two Cricket World Cups in 1987 and 1996, however organising a sporting of occasion of this scale, with nationwide contingents arriving from everywhere in the world together with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and The Caribbean, is a problem that’s on a unique degree altogether.

The 2010 CWG wasn’t with out its fair proportion of points, with the organisers dealing with criticism because of the state of a number of the amenities together with allegations of corruption. The match, nevertheless, did have an enduring affect on the infrastructure within the nationwide capital, with a number of components of New Delhi being redeveloped for the occasion. As for the occasion itself, India gained a whopping 101 medals – their greatest haul until date that helped them end second on the desk.

**Indo-Pak cricketing ties stronger than ever throughout UPA I
**

India and Pakistan had not performed a Check collection for a decade between 1989 and 1999 and even bilateral One-Day Worldwide tournaments between the 2 arch-rivals would hardly ever occur in these two nations – with Sharjah being a most well-liked venue for internet hosting Indo-Pak cricketing contests all through the Nineteen Nineties and Toronto, Canada internet hosting a few five-match rubbers in direction of the top of the last decade.

The Indo-Pak cricketing relations, nevertheless, would hit an all-time excessive between 2004 and 2007, beginning with the Indian group’s landmark tour of Pakistan within the months of March and April in 2004 – when the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA authorities was nonetheless in energy and shortly earlier than Dr Singh was to develop into the
‘Unintended Prime Minister’.

Lower than a yr later, Pakistan would tour India for a Check and ODI collection for the primary time in six years. And so the 2 neighbours would meet on an annual foundation until 2007, with internet hosting duties alternating between the 2 nations throughout this time interval.

Indo-Pak bilateral ties, nevertheless, would come to a screeching halt after the 2008 terror assaults in Mumbai. India have been scheduled to go to Pakistan in early 2009, however cancelled it because of the assaults. Their spot later went to Sri Lanka, although they too needed to pull out sooner than anticipated because of the notorious assault on their group bus by gunmen in Lahore.

Some of the putting moments when it got here to PM Singh and sport was when he had attended the 2011 ICC World Cup remaining between India and Pakistan in Mohali alongside together with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani – making the match as huge as the ultimate that adopted, if not larger.

Historic firsts within the Olympics

It was throughout Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM when India achieved historic firsts within the Olympics – the world’s greatest multi-sporting occasion. Taking pictures legend Abhinav Bindra had made historical past in Beijing 2008 by
turning into the primary Indian to win a person gold medal, rising triumphant within the 10m air rifle occasion. That very same version of the Olympics noticed Sushil Kumar win the nation’s first Olympic medal in wrestling in 56 years and Vijender Singh develop into the primary Indian boxer to face on an Olympic podium.

With three medals within the Beijing Olympics – Bindra’s gold together with Sushil and Vijender’s bronze – India had achieved their highest-ever medal haul on the Olympic. 4 years later, they might double that tally in London 2012 with six medals – two silver and 4 bronze.