Innumerable colourful balloons went
up the sky and hundreds of pigeons were set free when the 11th
edition of the South Asian Games was declared open by the
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
|Last Updated: Jan 29, 2010, 09:55 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Dhaka: Innumerable colourful balloons went
up the sky and hundreds of pigeons were set free when the 11th
edition of the South Asian Games was declared open by the
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a glittering
opening ceremony here today.
The three-and-half-hour long opening ceremony got off to
a gala start in front of a packed Bangabandhu National
Stadium stadium as about 12,000 school students, 1300
paramilitary force personnel and 1000 Army men portrayed
country`s culture and heritage in various art forms.
With a display of `Welcome to Dhaka` in galleries, the
ceremony began with the national anthem of Bangladesh --
`Aamar Sonar Bangla` (my golden/beloved Bengal) penned by
Rabindranath Tagore -- and was followed by the march past of
eight participating nations.
Bengali alphabetical order was followed in the march past
with Afghanistan coming in front, ahead of Nepal, Pakistan,
India, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh coming
in last.
National badminton champion Chetan Anand holding the
tri-colour led the Indian contingent in a rather sedate march
past as the Indian athletes were handful in numbers.
Members of the other participating countries kept on
waving their respective flags, even as Indians chose to just
marched down the lane.
After welcome song by Andrew Kishore and Shabina Yasmin,
the 12-day meet was officially opened with Prime Minister
Hasina saying, "I declare the 11th South Asian Games open,"
and balloons, pigeons were released.
The Games` sacred flame was lit by Bangladesh legendary
footballer Kazi Mohammed Salahuddin.
The torch relay began with Ateequr Rahman (shooting) as
it was passed on to Zeenat Ahmed (women`s sport federation),
Mohammed Mosharafe Hossain (boxing), Bazlur Rahman (swimming),
Jewel Rana (football), Roqibul Hasan (cricket), Lutfunnesa
Haque Bakool (WSF), Golam Mostafa (freedom fighter), Akram
Khan (cricket), Shahana Parveen (shooting), Mahbub Alam
(athletics) before reaching in the hands of Salahuddin.
Olympian sprinter Beauty Nazmun Nahar and Bangladesh
football captain and goalkeeper Aminul Haque took the oath on
behalf of all the participants.
Tableaux of fawn (mascot of 1985 SA Games), tiger cub
(1993 mascot) and magpie robin (2010 mascot) did a round of
the athletic track that marked the beginning of cultural dance
programme.
A play based on Nachole`s Queen, Brotochari Dance, Santal
Dance were the highlights of the cultural programme.
A charismatic aquatic show, billed as the first in the
sub-continent, displayed the concert for Bangladesh`s
Independence hosted by Pt Ravi Shankar and Beatles star George
Harrison and the March 7 address of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman on a giant water screen with laser beams.
Heavy drum beats reverberated the ground as the
programmed drew to a close leaving a lasting impression on the
spectators.
PTI
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