A strong 77-member contingent including Competitors, Experts and Interpreters represented India at the ceremony. India’s High Commissioner to United Arab Emirates Navdeep Suri inaugurated the Indian Pavilion which is built in an architectural style resembling the Taj Mahal- an embodiment of genuine architectural skills.
Chirag Goel, a World Skills Competitor in web design in the year 2015 from India representing Asia chosen as the one of nine Champions Trust representatives. 1300 competitors from 60 countries are all set to compete against each other across 51 skills. 1
India's 77 strong member contingent, marched their way out to the middle and were cheered aggressively by the capacity crowd at the 44th WorldSkills Competition grand Opening Ceremony which was held on at du Arena, Abu Dhabi. The men wore blue blazer trouser combination and finished the look with a red stole around their neck while the women participants were beautifully dressed in traditional Indian sarees.
It is for the is the first time that the WorldSkills International Competition which is the Olympics of Skills is held in the Middle East and the North Africa (MENA) region. The spectacular ceremony witnessed thousands of competitors, officials, and guests who were gathered together to watch the Parade of Nations. The official start of the competition began with the Parade of Nations - including 60 plus countries and regions represented by more than 1300+ competitors with their country flags flying and heads held high- demonstrating their joy and delight in representing their country at a global stage. Close to 1300 Competitors, 10,000 international visitors, and 100,000 visitors from UAE are expected to attend, with around 80,000 UAE students registered to visit the event. The night featured grandeur performances presenting the best of the culture, heritage and art of the Middle East. National Skill Development Corporation is the nodal agency for WSAD 2017 and has been leading country's participation at World Skills International Competitions since 2011. As part of Skill India mission, World Skills India is an initiative of the NSDC under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Congratulating the team on their participation in WorldSkills, Suri said, “Events like the WorldSkills provide us with the opportunity to learn and imbibe the best practices across skill sets and network with skill providers across the world. With participation from so many countries, we have the opportunity to showcase our skills in multiple areas by some leading exponents from India. I wish them all the best in their participation over the next three days and I look forward to meet, engage and learn from them during the course of the event.”
Addressing the gathering at the opening ceremony, the WorldSkills President Simon Bartley began by thanking the hosts, organizers, sponsors, and partners. He wished the competitors good luck and told them that this competition is just the start of many great things they will do in life and that each competitor at the global platform is already a WorldSkills Champion and a master in his skill set.
The event also saw, Chirag Goel, a World Skills Competitor in web design in the year 2015 from India representing Asia be chosen as the one of nine Champions Trust representatives to promote World Skills Competitions as the major global hub for skills excellence. Champions Trust is a group of Champions working to help the bridge the gap between Champions and Word skills beyond the Competition.