The
2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the
XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in
Delhi,
India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71
Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest
Commonwealth Games to date. It was also the largest international
multi-sport event to be staged in Delhi and India, eclipsing the
Asian Games in
1951 and
1982. The
opening and closing ceremonies were held at the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event. It was the first time that the Commonwealth Games were held in India and the second time it was held in Asia after
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in
1998. This also marked the first time a
Commonwealth Republic hosted the games. The official mascot of the Games was
Shera and the official song of the Games, "
Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto", was composed by celebrated Indian musician
A.R. Rahman.