"Public Memory is short", so goes a a popular saying that applies to any occasion or event that has a large following and is in the eye of the media. This saying basically brings to light the fact that people tend to overlook mistakes and errors as soon as things start going right and when there is positive news all around.

The best examples of this phenomenon are in the world's second most populous nation that is often known for its forgiving nature and soft power status. You guessed right, I'm talking about India. Just about three weeks ago India was in the news for all the wrong reasons, mainly centered around the poor preparation of the commonwealth games.

"Bridge collapses near CWG main venue, 23 injured" - The Times Of India

"Commonwealth Games village in chaos" - The Age, Australia

"India's Games of shame" - Asia Times Online

The above are just a few examples of some of the headlines that became a part of the staple diet for many Indians (delhiites in particular) during the last few weeks before the start of the Commonwealth Games. To make matters worse the Indian officials created a PR disaster by issuing foolish rebuttals and making statements that painted India poorly in the eyes of the rest of the world. It was a time when every Indian felt embarrassed by the whole situation and questions were raised as to whether a country which has about a third of the world's poor should have ever tried to host such an event.

Then came the day, 3 October, 2010 the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games and the rest as they say is history. Today, as the grand festival of sports reaches an end the country can look back to what has been a fortnight filled with numerous sporting successes. India has won more than 30 gold medals and close to 100 medals overall with wins in wrestling, boxing, athletics, tennis, badminton, shooting and many other sports. Millions of people thronged to the stadiums in the last week of the games to experience world class facilities and an environment they had never seen before. For some people this was the only chance to see something like this as India is not expected to host a similar event in the next decade.

I won't be lying if I said that every Indian and residents of Delhi in particular now feel hugely proud of the fact that there country hosted the games and did so well in them too. The pictures below prove this fact.

Couple this with India's resounding win over Australia in Cricket and you can imagine the sporting high that the country is currently feeling right now. However the important question is whether we can move forward from this positive feeling and huge accomplishment today and create a culture of sports and sports management in the country.Agreed, that India is a poor country but a quick glance at the medal winners from the commonwealth games and you will notice that a large proportion of them come from middle class families. The honor, glory and benefits that these people get from sports is way more than what they would get from a college degree, which in today's environment is anyway losing its value by the day.

The Commonwealth Games 2010 also showcase the fact that India is capable of hosting a world class competition although things could have been much better than what they turned out to be. Thus as a takeaway from these games I would like to suggest 3 things that the Indian government should do make India a sporting superpower in the next decade

1. Applaud all the athletes who have done the nation proud. Draw the attention of the country's youth and parents to sports other than cricket and show them that it pays to play. Encourage sports at the grassroots level in the villages and developing regions of the country. Use the medal winners as role models to show that being good at sports can make you and your family proud.

2. Attract top Indian talent from around the world to develop a world class Sports Management capability. India boasts of having some of the brightest MBAs in the world who would love an opportunity to give back to the country provided the right environment and benefits.

3. Get rid of bureaucracy and politics in the management of sports. Don't let years of hard work go to waste due to the actions of foolish politicians who don't have basic common sense of what to say and what not to say in the media.

Finally just to prove how much things have changed in the span of the last few weeks, here are some headlines that showcase the contrast to the one's shown above

"Negative publicity of CWG unfair, say foreign journalists": The Times of India

"Delhi benefited tremendously from CWG: Fennel": The Economic Times

"India shining as Commonwealth Games set for Gala closing": The Economic Times

"It's time to reflect on how Delhi got it right": The Age, Australia

(The Author is an MBA from AGSM, UNSW, Sydney and Kellogg School Of Management, USA. He is also the Editor of DelhiPlanet. You can follow him on Twitter @kirtidhingra)