Eleven days of sporting action at the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi came to an end on 14 October 2010. While they are heroes for their nations, they too have light moments on the field. Here are a few of those moments from each sport played at Delhi 2010.

ARCHERY

“Amy [Oliver, ENG] did it. What can I say? I'm quite comfortable with my sexuality."
Larry Godfrey (ENG), who had a Union Jack pattern painted on the fingernails of his right hand, may be relaxed regarding his sexuality but does seem confused over which flag an Englishman should be displaying.

ATHLETICS

 
“I had one legal jump and that's all it takes. A lot of flies and bugs got into my eyes and I had to stop to take them out."
- Tricia Smith (JAM) is a mite relieved after her Gold medal win in the Women's Triple Jump.

“That has happened a few times in the past. I probably have to learn to tie them up properly."
- Australia's Jared Tallent may have struck Gold in the Men's 20 km Walk, but the 25-year-old still must learn to do up his shoelaces.

“Too bad it is not the 802 metres."
- A fast-finishing Diane Cummins (CAN) rues failing to catch Nikki Hamblin (NZL) and winner Nancy Jebet Lan’gat in the dying strides of the Women's 800m.

BOXING

“It is just holding, jabbing and moving. It is boring. I really don’t like any sport.”
- Paddy Barnes (NIR) searches for inspiration despite his victory over Iain Butcher (SCO) in the Light Flyweight division.

“Now I have a week to eat all I want in the buffet. I might go up to 70kg.”
- Michael Conlan (NIR) on his plans to get over his loss in the 52kg category.

“I want to take back my title. It is like my wife. I don’t want anyone to take my wife and if anyone tries to, I’ll stop them.”
- Reigning Light Flyweight champion Jafet UUTONI (NAM) seldom missus with a punch so glove rivals should beware after he reaches the semi-finals.

“It’s in your face now. I should have got that medal for England.”
- Amir Khan's younger brother, Haroon Iqbal  (PAK), after winning a Bronze medal, sends a gracious message to the England selectors, who snubbed him for the Delhi Games.

“He was smiling, so I knew I was hurting him."
- Paddy Barnes (NIR) clinches a Light Flyweight Final place and explains how Amandeep Singh (IND) just has to grin and bear it.

“Three months of drinking."
- Patrick Gallagher (NIR) on how he plans to celebrate winning Gold in the Welterweight (69kg) category

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

“I don’t blame the media for exposing what had to be exposed. When things were exposed in the media they helped us to get action in certain areas and I say this very sincerely.”
- Mike Fennell, the Commonwealth Games Federation president, praises the media.

CYCLING

“Apart from the wild monkeys and dogs, there was nothing too challenging."
- Australian Rochelle Gilmore must have felt she was on safari as she won Gold in the Women's Road Race.

“In our team we had an electrician and a man from the Water Board."
- After finishing seventh in the Men's 168 km Road Race, Mark Cavendish (IOM) pays tribute to his island's wheels of industry.

“It was so hard, you just looked up the road and it was a haze... my feet were so numb I felt I was just pedalling with my ankles.’’
-  Luke Durbridge (AUS) after winning the Bronze medal in the Men's Individual Time Trial.

 HOCKEY

“It's an iron clash between two cultures. Our aim is to get Delhi nice and quiet.”
- Pakistan coach Michel van den Heuvel (NED) starts the war of words ahead of his side's showdown with India.

“My guts flew to my mouth. It was such an awesome feeling. We could have followed it up with a couple more though.’’
- Natasha Fitzsimons (NZL) describes her gut reaction to New Zealand's late equaliser against Australia in the Women's Gold medal match.

“I’m very angry and very sad. We’ve made our own Silver medal dirty. It is clear they are the best team now and are two steps ahead of everyone.”
- India's coach Jose Brasa (ESP) reacts bitterly to his side's 8-0 thrashing in the Men's Hockey Final.

“We are on top of the world, and we like it there.’’
- Jamie Dwyer (AUS) is on a high after the thumping victory over the host nation.

LAWN BOWLS

“We have been training in Cairns [tropical north Queensland, Australia] to get used to the humidity here and the little bugs aren’t half as bad as the ones you get up there.”
- Wayne Turley (AUS) is left unimpressed by Delhi's much discussed insect population.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

“It was so close to me that I didn’t see it until halfway through the routine and I killed it. It is a first here in Delhi.”
- Gold medallist Naazmi Johnston (AUS) recounts the passage of a grasshopper across the mat

“In Artistic you fall off the apparatus, in Rhythmic the apparatus falls off of you.”
- India's Akshata Sanjay Shete on the difference between Rhythmic and Artistic Gymnastics.

“Like water in the river, with hard work will come success.”
- Evangelina Trikomiti (CYP), mother of the gymnast Crystalleni Trikomiti, is in full flow after the Apparatus finals.

RUGBY SEVENS

“It's a tradition for me to shave it now and again. It's not superstitious; it's a bit like the old Spartan days of going in to battle. I guess it makes me feel fresh and a bit aerodynamic on the field.”
- DJ Forbes (NZL) on why he shaves his beard.

SHOOTING

“I am a Rajput [a warrior class in India]. Shooting runs in my blood. The pride that comes with holding a gun cannot be expressed in words."
Omkar Singh (IND) attempts to describe why he took up shooting.

“She is very angry about it. I hope the Commonwealth Games change this because it is very sexist not to have the Women’s event. And I don’t think this is good for our sport. We need to support both sexes. Here we have three Men’s shotgun events and one Women’s. This is not right. This is not the 1800s, we are in the 21st century and they must rethink for Glasgow. It’s the only negative thing I can say."
- The Double Trap shooter Russell Mark (AUS) is upset that his wife Lauryn is not competing in Delhi because her event, Women’s Skeet, was dropped.

“I definitely would rather be kicked in the nuts than not win a medal.”
- Bronze winner Jonathan Hammond (SCO) proclaims his willingness to go through the pain barrier for a place on the podium.

“The secret is curry. It's curry. The curry in the Athletes' Village, that's the secret. There's a special curry there and it is called Honey Chicken, I think, and that's my secret."
- England's Aaron Heading explains his hunger for success and why he was so hot in his Gold medal triumph in the Men's Single Trap.

“Prepare me a steak. I've only had chicken here in India."
- Matthew Hall (NIR) puts in an early food order for his family back home.

SQUASH

“I don't think anyone will want to play in front of 20,000 screaming Glaswegians."
- Harry Leitch (SCO) looks forward to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

SWIMMING

“Last time I swam that quickly was 10 years ago. It just goes to show that there is still hope for all the old buggers out there."
- After his Commonwealth Games record in the 100m Butterfly, Geoffrey Huegill (AUS) will have upset anyone over the age of 31.

TABLE TENNIS:

“The referee just hated my face."
Stephen Gertsen (WAL) does not take kindly to being given a one-point penalty in his match against Ma Liang (SIN).

“I was happy to hit her on her head. That was my best shot all day."
- Gertsen (WAL) takes matters in to his own hands by hitting the ball square into the umpire's face.

“Handling Gold for me is just a miracle. It was destined to be mine."
- Kata Oputa  (NGR) milks her golden moment after winning the Women's Singles Wheelchair Para event.

TENNIS

“It's tough to play out here at night. The courts become much more skiddy and faster, and all the bugs flying in your face don’t help."
- Bronze medallist Matt Ebden (AUS) discovers a different kind of buzz about the Games.

“There were mosquitoes and moths on the court. I have played in Delhi so many times but I have not seen such a variety of insects in my life.”
India's Silver medallist Sania Mirza was affected by the city's wildlife, presumably even during her swarm-up.

WRESTLING

“When I fly back I'll have it [the Gold medal] on, I'll sleep with it, walk around with it on and, who knows, I might even shower with it. That's until I find a safe place to keep it."
- Gold medal-winning Canadian wrestler Arjan Bhullar (CAN) celebrates cleaning up in the 120kg Freestyle.

“We eat lots of strong foods in Nigeria, cocoyams [fufu] and beans. They give us strength. Fufu is a very strong food and when you eat it you need to drink water for two days after."
- Gold medallist Esther Osa Oyema (NGR) reveals the secret gastronomic  ingredient to her success. - GNS