Breaking the tradition of using opening ceremonies of big sporting events for showcasing the host country’s grandeur, South Korea gave the Asian countries a dream of ‘One Asia’. Using the grand stage of 17th Asian Games, that opened on Friday with colourful fireworks and carefully crafted K-Pop routines, the hosts sent across a message of unity in diversity.
The gathering of athletes, officials and media from 45 countries of the world’s most populous continent — Asia — to celebrate this quadrennial event here in Incheon made it a perfect stage to push the initiative of uniting the 4.5 billion Asians. And South Korea grabbed the opportunity with both hands as they laid out the red carpet for over 13,000 athletes, including their neighbour North Korea, with whom their relations are tense to say the least.
The ceremony featured traditional Korean performances of song, dance and poetry and was capped off by ‘Gangnam Style’ pop singer Psy, who delivered a rousing finale to the spectacular show put up by hundreds of performers, actors and models on directions of the Korean artistic director Jang Jin.
Athletes dressed in colourful national dresses, sharp suits and comfortable tracksuits were cheered on by a full-capacity crowd of 60,000, who offered enthusiastic welcomes to delegations from 45 countries, including to their belligerent neighbours, North Korea.
Korean President Park Geun-hye declared the Games open amid thunderous cheers as dazzling fireworks lit up the evening sky.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), told the participating nations: “We are delighted to welcome you and are looking forward to seeing you compete and perform based on fair play and respect. You are the heart and soul of the Games.”
The competing teams marched into the stadium before the final act of the evening. The first one to enter was Nepal. The Indian athletes trooped in later with hockey skipper Sardar Singh leading the smartly-dressed contingent.
The male members of the Indian team were attired in traditional blue blazers while the women in sea-green sarees. The smiling athletes walked in waving the Tricolour.
India have sent a nearly 700-strong contingent for the event and will take part in 28 disciplines.
Popular Korean actress and model lee Young-ae lit the Asian Games cauldron to set the stage for a fortnight of action in the city - the second Korean venue for the Games in the last 12 years.
China, who have been topping the medals tally since1982 Asian Games in India, have sent in the biggest delegation of 1,300 athletes and officials, including 33 Olympic champions, and will participate in 35 out of 36 events.
Though the slogan of these Games is ‘Diversity shines here’ but the Saudi Arabia contingent marched into the stadium without a single female athlete. Saudi Arabia’s ultra-conservative approach has faced criticism but their officials have defended the stand, terming their female athletes incompetent for the Games.
There was another controversy in the lead-up to the opening ceremony when a member of the Iranian contingent was thrown out of the Games after being charged with sexual harassment of a female volunteer.
But these incidents have failed to spoil the spirit of the Games and the vibrant opening ceremony was only a glimpse of the coming fortnight.