Shera whips up some interest in CWG

Commonwealth Express receives a rousing response from the young

Studying in the first standard in Kendriya Vidyalaya, all that she let her mother do on their visit to the special exhibition train was to watch her talk to the Railways representatives on the train about how the ‘tiger’ wears clothes and stands upright.

But for Nikitha of Department of Youth Services and Sports, Vidyanagar – a track athlete – it was a probable snapshot of her future packaged on the wheels.

Reading about the achievements of many great athletes the nation has produced, which was on display, she said: “One day I want to win an olympic gold medal and be recognised just like these great people.”

She was not interested in the models of the various venues, the Government’s slogans that scream aloud of ‘achievements’, sports equipment. She was focused and determined – eyeing a spot on the display boards for the future.

And for Prashanth from St Germain High School, it was a day to add tidbits of sporting gyan. “I participate in quiz competitions at the intra-school level and this is a good opportunity to learn something, especially because there are visuals and it is an event of sorts,” he said.

Similarly, there were many more visitors, a major chunk being students and children, who gave the special exhibition train a rousing welcome as it entered the City before halting at the Cantonment Railway Station until 7 pm on Friday.

Five coaches of the train, run jointly by the Ministry of Railways (through its Railway Sports Promotion Board) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, are dedicated for information about the CWG, including its history, portraits and action pictures of prominent Indian sports persons, interesting facts about the games, the various venues for the games in Delhi and Shera – the mascot.

Another six coaches are dedicated for the Centre initiatives in the field of information, communication and technology (ICT), comprising its National e-Governance Project and various other schemes and projects including the unique smart card project.

The special train has been chugging through India since June 24 to promote the Games to be held between October 3 and 14 at New Delhi.

The train arrived in Bangalore from Mysore and will leave for Hubli on Friday night, where it will halt until September 5.

It will then head back to New Delhi –– reaching on October 2, a day before the Games begin –– via Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.