Travel - Delhi (Concluded) - Sports and world heritage sites

Sports

Main article: Sports in Delhi

Delhi has hosted many major international sporting events, including the first and also the ninth Asian Games,^[186] the 2010 Hockey World Cup, the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the2011 Cricket World Cup. Delhi lost bidding for the 2014 Asian Games,^[187]and considered making a bid for the2020 Summer Olympics.^[188] However, sports minister Manohar Singh Gill later stated that funding infrastructure would come before a 2020 bid.^[189] There are indications of a possible 2028 bid.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games, which ran from 3 to 14 October 2010, was one of the largest sports event held in India.^[190][191] The opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event, in New Delhi at 7:00 pm Indian Standard Timeon 3 October 2010.^[192] The ceremony featured over 8,000 performers and lasted for two and a half hours.^[193] It is estimated that ₹3.5 billion(US$56 million) were spent to produce the ceremony.^[194] Events took place at 12 competition venues. 20 training venues were used in the Games, including seven venues within Delhi University.^[195] The rugby stadium in Delhi University North Campus hosted rugby games for Commonwealth Games.^[195][196] The mess left behind after the Commonwealth Games prompted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to replace Sports and Youth Affairs minister Manohar Singh Gill with Ajay Maken in 19 January 2011 Cabinet reshuffle.^[197]

Cricket and football are the most popular sports in Delhi.^[198] There are several cricket grounds, or maidans, located across the city. The Feroz Shah Kotla Ground (known commonly as the Kotla) is one of the oldest cricket grounds in India and is a venue for international cricket matches. It is the home ground of the Delhi cricket team, which represents the city in the Ranji Trophy, the premier Indian domestic first-class cricket championship.^[199] The Delhi cricket team has produced several world-class international cricketers such as Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir,Virat Kohli, Madan Lal, Chetan Chauhanand Bishan Singh Bedi to name a few. The Railways and Services cricket teams in the Ranji Trophy also play their home matches in Delhi, in the Karnail Singh Stadium and the Harbax Singh Stadium respectively. The city is also home to the Indian Premier League teamDelhi Daredevils, who play their home matches at the Kotla, and was the home to the Delhi Giants team (previously Delhi Jets) of the now defunct Indian Cricket League.

Ambedkar Stadium, a football stadium in Delhi which holds 21,000 people, was the venue for the Indian football team's World Cup qualifier against UAE on 28 July 2012.^[200] Delhi hosted the Nehru Cup in 2007^[201] and 2009, in both of which India defeated Syria 1–0.^[202] In the Elite Football League of India, Delhi's first professional American footballfranchise, the Delhi Defenders played its first season in Pune.^[203] Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, a suburb of Delhi, hosts the annualFormula 1 Indian Grand Prix.^[204] TheIndira Gandhi Arena is also in Delhi.

Delhi is a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21.

World Heritage status

In February 2014, Government of Indiaapproved Delhi's bid for World Heritage City status. The historical city ofShahjahanabad and Lutyens' Bungalow Zone in New Delhi have been cited in the bid. A team from UNESCO is scheduled to visit Delhi in September, 2014 to validate its claims. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has acted as the nodal agency for the bid. The announcement of accepted cities will be made in June, 2015.^{[citation needed]}