Organisers stay tight-lipped about local flavour in opening ceremony

GOLDCOAST: The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (GOLDOC) has thrown a blanket of secrecy over the opening ceremony. Organisers have so far revealed that the ceremony will showcase local Queensland and Australian culture and will stick to the Games Federation’s principals of friendship and gender equality.

GOLDOC officials have been tight-lipped about the ceremony, especially after a lot of people criticised the CWG Glasgow ceremony. In fact, the organising committee suspended the accreditation of local broadcaster Channel 9 for publishing photographs of the final dress rehearsal.

It seemed some volunteers and guests were given a glimpse into the final rehearsal and photos of that were published by Channel 9, thus prompting GOLDOC to suspend its accreditation. “When people are given the privilege to come in and watch an event, and they break the rules, that’s not high per- formance, that’s infringing on the spirit which these Games represent.

“It is very disappointing when things like this do happen. I think we have to commend the efforts of GOLDOC in enforcing their policies on this matter,” CGF CEO David Grevemberg said.

The decision will be reviewed on Wednesday and the suspension lifted only on Thursday, informed GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters. Peters said the programme will be live and lipsynced.