Blair hails Delhi's successful CWG bid

Hailing New Delhi's successful bid to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that sports brings people from different walks of life together.

Blair made the remarks while welcoming India's Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar at the Trafalgar Square, where the first anniversary of London winning its bid to host the 2012 Olympics was celebrated on Thursday.

Also present on the occasion were Tessa Jowel, Britain's Culture Secretary, and Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London.

Aiyar, who visited Manchester city on Tuesday, had a first hand glimpse of the facilities made available for the 2002 Games.

He also met Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell and Sabestian Coe, Chairman of the Organising committee of the London Olympics 2012.

Trafalgar Square - the centre of the 2005 celebrations - was again the scene of a party yesterday.

There was song, there was dance, there were dignitaries - but mostly there was sport. Hundreds of schoolchildren had the chance to try their hand at fencing, cycling, basketball, rowing and sprinting - with Nelson's Column towering overhead.

The party also kicked off a series of summer celebrations, which will see 150 sports events take place in London. And a double-decker roadshow bus set off on a 4,800 km journey around the country - aiming to get the rest of the UK onboard. "Be part of it, 2012" was the slogan, while the emphasis was to inspire young people to get involved in sport - not just watch it.