CWG theme song released as AR Rahman ushers in ‘Swagatham’

M.today news

Gurgaon, August 28: Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi unveiled the Commonwealth Games 2010 theme song in the inaugural ‘Swagatham’ ceremony here on Saturday.

The theme song, ‘Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto’, which has been composed by Oscar winning music director AR Rahman, voiced the nation’s enthusiasm for the upcoming event.

The ‘Swagatham’ ceremony was a compilation of various performances by Indian artists.

After the song was unveiled, Rahman said that he could not decide on the song till the very last moment. “I kept tweaking it (the song) and finished it just last night,” he said.

Confident about the preparations for the October event, Kalmadi claimed that the Games would be better and a bigger success than the Beijing Olympics.

“It is going to be a great Commonwealth Games, better than the Beijing Olympics,” said an enthusiastic Kalmadi.

“It was many years back when we won the hosting rights for the CWG. We defeated nations like Hamilton and Canada to get the hosting rights. We then promised that we will give the world a great Games, and today I claim that we will deliver it,” Kalmadi added.

The IOA President also said that the event was not only about New Delhi and that it was a matter of national pride. “We are Team India and we will make sure that the CWG are a success,” he said.

Kalmadi added the CWG will have a “great opening and closing ceremony”. “The opening ceremony will depict 5000 years of Indian culture. We are prepared and we will do it,” he elaborated.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was also present during the CWG theme song launch ceremony, said that it is not just a sporting event, and that “India will celebrate the CWG like a festival”.

“Haryana will do whatever it takes to make CWG a success as it is a matter of national pride. I assure Mr. Kalmadi that Haryana will win the maximum number of medals in the Games,” a confident Hooda said.

Also present on the occasion was Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit, who said that the Commonwealth Games in the national capital would be the ‘most memorable Games ever held’.

“I join everybody else in a belief that the CWG is going to be the most memorable Games ever held. I am confident that Delhi, with India behind it, will achieve what many people think is impossible,” Dixit said.

 Sheila Dixit expressed her gratitude towards AR Rahman, saying, “We couldn’t have got a better person for the CWG theme song.”