Day 7 - In search of merchanise

No events to watch this morning so it was of in search of the elusive merchandise. My only previous "multi-sport" even was the Athens Olympics. Whilst I know that the CWG are on a smaller scale I did think that with a huge population and a manufacturing base India would have milked the merchandising cow dry. Quite the opposite. There are 8 merchandising stores. Of these 6 are no more than the local version of McDonalds, one is in Connaught Place at a "store" called Giggles and the last is within the confines of the CWG building. As we know that access to the later is restricted to those with accreditation it was to Giggles we headed. 
I'm not sure what I expect; a department store like John Lewis or Allders; a supermarket chain like Asda or even a 'pop-up shop' just for the games. In fact what we found was in the best tradition of Indian shopkeepers ... a corner shop! Honestly this place was no bigger than your local paper shop. Three members of staff and bugger all stock. In total they had 5 badges, 20 puzzles, 30 visors, 10 scarves and an assortment of transfer printed tee-shirts totalling no more than 70. I've seen better stock in a petrol station. Having spent the princely sum of £12 I now own 20% of there stock!
A future raid on the CWG building is planned as rumours of 'mugs' are circulating town and that access can be gained with an England baseball cap and some arguing. 
After a morning of retail therapy, it was coffee and muffins for lunch at an India coffee chain. It had all the trapping of Starbucks just rubbish service and poor coffee. Starbucks are going to clean up when they arrive. Costa Coffee next time.
As we were already in the center of town we decided to ride the metro to the stadium using our free tickets. In Athens you just walked onto the buses, trams or metro. Flashed your games ticket and off you went. No such luck in Delhi. Bureaucracy rules. What's involved; a security check worthy of an Eminem concert to get into the station; visit to 'customer care' to initial ticket stub; write down ticket number and destination; visit to guard to check ticket and allow access to station; on arrival at destination remove ticket and hand to guard to exit station. Thankfully the stations aren't bad, not the Moscow underground or even the new bits of the 'tube' but modern, clean, spacious and well signed. Our big mistake was that an Indian v Pakistan hockey was being played near a station on our route. The platform was packed with each carriage door having a soldier and an official to monitor it. When the brand new German/Italian/French train arrived it was a sight to behold, the pinnacle of European engineering. Filled to 3 times legal capacity with hockey crazed Indians. We decided to pass on this on and get the next ... same thing. At this point I have to report that we had 2 ladies with us and despite initially refusing to travel in the ladies only carriage they soon changed there minds and left us to fend for ourselves. train 3 and it was do or die, literally (no really literally). When the doors opened half of Indian tried to leave the train whilst the other half plus 6 Brits tried to join it. The pushing and shoving was on a biblical scale but eventually we were on board, no space, no air but on board. Now the fun starts. Station 1, door open, everybody shuffles, doors close. Station 2 doors open and everybody except us try to leave. We were going to the next station because the official CWG map says so. On two occasions I end up on the platform before fighting my way back to the metro. Between unplanned exiting manoeuvres a very kind Indian lad tries to tell me that this is my stop but I ignore him and force myself back to the mother ship. Only as the metro left the station did it become apparent that the young lad was correct and the CWG were wrong ... again. Thankfully the remainder of the journey was quite peaceful and we arrived in one piece. Minus two women! At the station a very kind volunteer asked if we were OK, quick as a flash one of our group replied, "No I've lost my wife ..." the poor helper could do nothing other than laugh. Thankfully they were standing in the ticket hall wondering why we'd been so long.

The athletics whilst not as exciting as the metro provided some entertainment. The steeplechase was a Kenyan precession, they also won the women's 800m. In the 10000m, where they are also famously strong, they had to settle for 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Victory going to the Ugandan Moses Kipsiro.

On the field the Aussie Steve Hooker won the pole vault with only 2 jumps. Both were 2 feet clear of the bar and showed all the technique of a fridge (see photos). If his technique was as good as Sergei Bubka he might just get close to the great man's heights. Steven Lewis and Max Eaves of England jumped well for the other medals. 

For our group the highlight was Scotland's Alistair Hay getting through to the 1500m final. He scrapped through in 12th but having been in A&E the night before he was content. He only revealed the hospital visit to his mother and girlfriend after the race. I don't guess he's expecting much against the African but the experience of a final will be good.