Commonwealth Youth Games 2008 Pune
Date: 12/10/2008
Beijing Olympics gold medalist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, addressed the 1,300 athletes and 350 officials from 71 countries gathered in the Indian city to take part in the third edition of this event - first held in Edinburgh in 2000 - and said he hoped it would help India become a major sporting power.
He said: "I appeal the Indian youths to join sports.
"They are the next generation sportspersons and they can help India become a global sporting power."
Earlier, Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell said, "I wished Pune well and thank them for hosting the CYG in this grandeur. "
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said that he believed the event was the start of a long campaign to bring the 2020 Olympics to the country for the first time in its history.
He said: "I hope the Commonwealth Youth Games becomes a huge success which will be a step towards the Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi.
"Now the responsibility lies with the people of Pune to [help] bring the Olympics to India."
Hailing India's success in the Beijing Olympics, Kalmadi in his speech said: "For the first time we have an individual gold medal winner in Abhinav Bindra.
"Everybody should be proud of him."
The event is being seen as a curtain raiser for the Commonwealth Games to be hosted by in New Delhi in 2010.
The mascot of the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games is Jigrr, a tiger and is is the younger "brother" of Sher', the mascot of 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Jigrr the name, is an amalgam of the word "Jigar", which implies courage in Hindi and also the sound of a tiger roar 'grrr...'
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