PM Manmohan Singh's relationship with sports: From hosting CWG to strong Indo-Pak cricketing ties

Tributes poured in from around the world while the nation went into a state of mourning after former Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh passed away at the age of 92 in New Delhi on Thursday. Dr Singh, who died of age-related medical conditions after being rushed to AIIMS in the national capital, is widely credited as a pioneer of economic reforms in the country.

It was during his tenure as Finance Minister from 1991 to 1996 during the PV Narasimha Rao-led government when key liberalising economic reforms were introduced, rescuing the country from the brink of a financial collapse and laying the foundation for India’s rise as a global economic power.

Also Read | Manmohan Singh’s enduring legacy in Indian economy

Dr Singh, who completed his Economics Tripos from the University of Cambridge and later pursued DPhil from the University of Oxford, would later become the first Sikh Prime Minister of the country after the United Progressive Alliance emerged triumphant in the 2004 General Elections. Five years later, Dr Singh would become the first PM to be re-elected after serving his full term in office since Jawaharlal Nehru.

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Not only did the country witness extraordinary economic growth during his tenure as PM, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth reaching a record high of 10.08 per cent in 2006-07, India also also witnessed several firsts during this time period when it came to sports.

As we bid farewell to one of the longest-serving Prime Ministers who was widely respected for his intelligence as well as for his integrity, which even earned him the respect of politicians from the opposition, we take a look at some of the key moments in Indian sport during his tenure from 2004 to 2014:

India hosts the 2010 Commonwealth Games

It was during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2010 when India hosted the Commonwealth Games (CWG) for the first, and as of 2024, the only time. The 19th edition of the Commonwealth Games, which features nations that were previously part of the British Empire, was also the first major multi-sporting event taking place since the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.

India did co-host major tournaments such as two Cricket World Cups in 1987 and 1996, but organising a sporting of event of this scale, with national contingents arriving from all over the world including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and The Caribbean, is a challenge that is on a different level altogether.

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The 2010 CWG wasn’t without its fair share of issues, with the organisers facing criticism due to the state of some of the facilities along with allegations of corruption. The tournament, however, did have a lasting impact on the infrastructure in the national capital, with several parts of New Delhi being redeveloped for the event. As for the event itself, India won a whopping 101 medals – their biggest haul till date that helped them finish second on the table.

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

India and Pakistan had not played a Test series for a decade between 1989 and 1999 and even bilateral One-Day International tournaments between the two arch-rivals would rarely happen in these two nations – with Sharjah being a preferred venue for hosting Indo-Pak cricketing contests throughout the 1990s and Toronto, Canada hosting a couple of five-match rubbers towards the end of the decade.

The Indo-Pak cricketing relations, however, would hit an all-time high between 2004 and 2007, starting with the Indian team’s landmark tour of Pakistan in the months of March and April in 2004 – when the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA government was still in power and shortly before Dr Singh was to become the 'Accidental Prime Minister' .

Less than a year later, Pakistan would tour India for a Test and ODI series for the first time in six years. And so the two neighbours would meet on an annual basis till 2007, with hosting duties alternating between the two nations during this time period.

Indo-Pak bilateral ties, however, would come to a screeching halt after the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. India were scheduled to visit Pakistan in early 2009, but cancelled it due to the attacks. Their spot later went to Sri Lanka, though they too had to pull out earlier than expected due to the infamous attack on their team bus by gunmen in Lahore.

One of the most striking moments when it came to PM Singh and sport was when he had attended the 2011 ICC World Cup final between India and Pakistan in Mohali along with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani – making the match as big as the final that followed, if not bigger.

Historic firsts in the Olympics

It was during Dr Manmohan Singh’s tenure as PM when India achieved historic firsts in the Olympics – the world’s biggest multi-sporting event. Shooting legend Abhinav Bindra had made history in Beijing 2008 by becoming the first Indian to win an individual gold medal , emerging triumphant in the 10m air rifle event. That same edition of the Olympics saw Sushil Kumar win the country’s first Olympic medal in wrestling in 56 years and Vijender Singh become the first Indian boxer to stand on an Olympic podium.

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