Commonwealth Games and Chile

I have to admit that the Commonwealth Games had me sucked in. I swore when they started that I would give my full an undying attention to my studies but being the sports crazed person that I am I just couldn't turn down watching some (okay way too much!) of the competition.

I have to admit from what I did see India put on a much better showing than anyone could possibly admit to believing that they could put on. What with all of the talks about security issues, the athlete's village being untenable, the complexes not being ready on time, etc, etc. If there was an issue that could be there it was criticized before the games even started.

Now, I'm not going to come out and say that they were perfect by any means. The Indian Prime Minister came out and admitted that the Games probably weren't going to look glowing for his own country. However, I do agree with what he said in that his country had very little idea of how other countries were managed, how they behaved, how they operated, all of the little things. Having such a massive sporting competition (for the number of events and sports with the number of countries and territories competing it is second in the world to the Olympic Games) it will give India such immense opportunity to build and to develop as a country. In the long run these Commonwealth Games could very well be the beginning rather than an end to something very special for India. Being the world's second most populated city in the world it would be of tremendous global benefit if India were to improve from this position.

Congratulations to all of the athletes who performed at their best and congratulations to India for surpassing most expectations on your Commonwealth Games. Good luck in using it to develop as a nation. India has earned my respect as a nation far more than what they had previously (not that I was one of those Australians who would label Indians or verbally/physically abuse them nor am I for that).

What a miracle in Chile. To get each of those miners out safely is nothing short of that, a miracle. My country, Australia, does me proud once again by being there when another nation needs our help. To know that the drill that successfully completed the job was both an Australian invention being used by an expert Australian team makes me more proud to be Australian than even the gold medal winners in the Commonwealth Games.

Athletes almost always get the credit when it is due to them. However, this Australian team who took their drill to Chile and helped save those miners will not become household names. They wont receive the recognition and the accolades that they deserve. However, I'm not sure that they mind that. To them they were normal Australians doing something that many of us would dream of having the opportunity to do - save innocent lives. To them they were doing their job. To me they are the real super heroes of our society.

 I got to watch the foreman, the last Chilean miner who was pulled out talk to the President. Now, I don't speak Spanish at all. However, the tone of the conversation by both men left me in absolute awe of the Chilean President. What must be said is that he was present at the mine when the drilling began and he refused to leave until after it had been completed. Not only that but he treated the foreman as though it was his family who was in the mine. You didn't have to understand Spanish to understand that the foreman had a love and appreciation for his President and that the President held the same level of respect in return. 

Now, to me that is amazing. You always see it around election time. You always see it when an athlete or a team wins something that the country's leader inserts himself into the situation. The athlete may suggest that it was great to meet the President that it meant a lot to them to speak to someone who was so important. However, it's always the leader who has the power position and a lot of the time it comes off as very fake or self serving. This was different. This was one human being caring about another human being. There was nothing at all fake about it. I wish that all leaders held an aura and respect as Mr Pinera does. The world needs more leaders of nations who are like that.