President’s biker stunt kick-starts Games
JAKARTA: The Gelora Bung Karno Stadium truly throbbed with the ’Energy of Asia’ as thousands of artists, in a profusion of colours, gave a scintillating performance to signal the start of the 18th Asian Games here on Saturday.
For a moment, it felt like earth shook and from within emerged hundreds of shimmering lights. Those were in fact artists draped in gold and silver fabric. For the next five minutes they held the spectators spellbound, radiating an exuberance that will keep inspiring 9,000 athletes from 44 countries over the next fortnight.
GRAND ENTRY
The opening ceremony was a mix of modern and traditional as the giant screen first showed a biker, driving at breakneck speed and dressed in a business suit, enter the stadium tunnel.
Removing his helmet, he walked up to the elevator that took him right to the enclosure where dignitaries from a comity of nations welcomed him with open arms. Those witnessing the ‘stunt’ were left in awe as from beneath the helmet emerged Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia.
In true traditional style, the ceremony began with each participating country being escorted by ceremonial girls dressed like a ‘Garuda’, which is the national emblem of the country.
The event might not have been as colossal in scale as the 2010 edition in Guangzhou, where the venue for the opening ceremony was not a stadium, but a river. But then that was China. And this is Indonesia, still coming to grips with the changing socio-economic environment around them.
UNIFIED KOREA MARCH
The cheering spectators welcomed the 44 nations, reserving the maximum applause for the Unified Korea contingent. The stadium reverberated with the sound of ’Korea, Korea’ as spectators, many in tears after witnessing the historic moment, let their unbridled emotion flow. His perfectly coiffed hair in place, Neeraj Chopra led the Indian contingent with the Tricolour firmly in his grip. That grip will also be key to his — and India’s aspirations — of winning gold for the first time in the history of the Asian Games in javelin throw.