After edging out Hamilton in Canada to claim the XIX Commonwealth Games in 2003, officials in Delhi ordered an extensive construction and renovation programme for the city, upgrading existing facilities and building new stadiums.
Eight new venues were constructed and six renovated. Some 26 new training venues were also built and 16 others upgraded.
However, not all ran smoothly with the planned building schedule. Amid reports of sub-standard venue construction and corrupt behaviour, Delhi faced a barrage of criticism over the Games.
In July 2010, India's anti-corruption watchdog claimed building practices were shoddy and accused construction firms of inflating costs. The Central Vigilance Commission inspected 16 roadway projects and sporting venues, finding evidence of inadequate concrete and steel works, and that regulatory approvals had been forged.
Construction work also ran massively over time. Despite a scheduled finish date of 2009, completion certificates for the stadiums and the Athletes' Village were only delivered to the Commonwealth Games Federation on 6 September, nine days before the first athletes were due to arrive.
The stadiums
At the Commonwealth Games attention will be focused on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium which has been renovated to house a capacity of 60,000 spectators. The stadium features a woven basket of steel beams lit by coloured floodlights.
The Opening and Closing ceremonies and athletics will be held here, while lawn bowls and weightlifting will take place at two new purpose-built venues close by. In case of emergency, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is designed to be evacuated within eight minutes.
The Indira Gandhi Arena, which will showcase archery, cycling, gymnastics and wrestling, has been upgraded to accommodate 25,000 spectators. Located in east Delhi and built in 1982, the complex is linked to the rest of the city through Delhi's new Metro system.
All swimming events are will take place at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex, which features a warm-up pool, a pool for the main competition, diving pools and underwater observation windows.
The Athletes' Village
The Athletes' Village has been tipped as a state-of-the-art facility located on the east bank of the River Yamuna, comprising a series of tower blocks, designed to accommodate 8000 athletes and officials. There are also training areas for athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling and a fitness centre.
However, the facility was severely criticised just days before the athletes were due to begin arriving in Delhi, with Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell describing the village as "seriously compromised".
New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie also criticised the facility, describing the conditions as "sub-standard", with issues including cleanliness, plumbing, wiring, internet access and mobile phone coverage.
His comments prompted New Zealand Olympic Committee president Mike Stanley and secretary-general Barry Maister to make a flying visit to Delhi.
The New Zealand squad were given an alternative apartment building in the Games Village. Concerns over the facilities have also been raised by a number of other countries, including Australia, England and Wales.
Sourced in part from www.cwgdelhi2010.org
