A chance moment summed it all up beautifully.
For all the sound and fury raging around them — airtight security, sniffer dogs and bomb disposal units, anti-aircraft missile batteries and diplomatic initiatives involving

Welcome to the world of “retired” Colombo-based sportswriter W.G. Karunasena, “Gamini” to long-suffering wife Sheila and to best friend and fellow cricket fanatic Ari Byrd. An alcoholic, deeply knowledgeable about his beloved sport, its history and its finer points, and is dying thanks to his affinity for arrack, the Sri Lankan hooch that is so much a part of the island’s life.

Over the years, Thailand has developed into something of a golfer’s paradise.

Flashback One: October 12, 2010 A packed, screaming Nehru Stadium rises to its feet as the petit Mandeep Kaur hammers her way to the tape, and gold medal, in the women’s 4x400 metres relay at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Lasers strobed the night sky, music thundered from the speaker stacks, dancers pirouetted, military bands marched with customary precision and a super-sized balloon hovered like a benign monster as th

India turned in their best-ever performance at the Commonwealth Games, finishing the penultimate day of the athletics competition with one gold medal and as many as four bronzes at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.

On a day India’s women discus throwers were scripting history with their unprecedented medal sweep at the 19th Commonwealth Games at the Nehru Stadium here on Monday, the dope threat reared its head again with Nigeria’s 100 metres sprint winner Oludamola Osay-omi testing positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine (MHA).

Hosts India sustained their remarkable run at the 19th Commonwealth Games, adding four gold medals to stay second in the overall tally after six days of competition even as runaway leaders Australia opened up an even bigger gap on their pursuers with success in the pool, track and field, the shooting range and elsewhere.

Monday’s silver lining was followed by a golden sunrise on Tuesday as India roared into second place on the Common-wealth Games medals tally with a rich haul of five gold medals on the day — three coming from as many wrestling finals and two from the shooting range.

It was not the golden start India would have been hoping for but there was plenty to cheer on the opening day of competition in the 19th Commonwealth Games here on Monday. The weightlifters pulled in two silver medals and as many bronzes on a day eight golds were up for grabs to see the hosts in seventh place overall in the medals tally.