Commonwealth Games Diary: A sleep-deprived soul with a Midlands accent

The Commonwealth carnival is finally over. Birmingham’s very own Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, concluded the proceedings, with a 30,000-strong crowd cheering on at the Alexander Stadium. Two of Black Sabbath’s original members – Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi – had a surprise reunion during the closing ceremony.

As the crowd began to disperse after a final madcap day, Diary finally had a tipple with two other world-weary scribes. There was a sense of camaraderie, akin perhaps to the sleep-deprived call centre workers of the graveyard shifts from every Indian IT corridor. Equally sleep deprived, Diary could catch a tinge of Midlands accent in the conversation, but perhaps the tired brain was having a party of its own.

The volunteers were hugging, cheering, crying outside the mixed zone. A few had travelled to be a part of this showpiece from as far as Afghanistan. The team of 14,000 was the sweetest people around. All of them went out of their way to be as helpful as possible.

A few others were still making a last-ditch effort to add to their collection of team badges. Diary had to tell at least four stewards that he only had one India lapel pin.

India’s press attaché, for the first time, had a look of relief. She had to run no more, no more screaming “two minutes only” to journalists at the I-zone.

And another lot hurried over to the merchandise store, now looking to clear its stock at discounted rates.

The Diary, though, didn’t have the energy to join the frenzy. His first multi-discipline Games had taken its toll. Meals were skipped. Trains were missed. Mistakes were made. However, Diary – with an average sleep score of 34 in 13 nights, 2,05,218 steps and a hurting Achilles – is still going to miss the Commonwealth Games.