Jakarta bids emotional farewell to exhausted Asian champions
JAKARTA: Jakarta is a city which, locals say, sees heavy rains at least twice a week all year long. But for 16 days, the skies held up only to come pouring down on the grand finale of the 18thAsian Games.
Probably, the skies too were in real tears, expressing a tinge of sadness as the curtains came down on a wonderful fortnight of Games. Of course, there were several moist eyes as well—on the streets of Jakarta and at the GBK Stadium—as thousands of spectators had flocked to applaud the athletes that enthralled millions in Asia, braving the heavy downpour and the congested roads leading to the main stadium.
In fact, Jakarta bade an emotional ‘Selamat Tinggal’ (farewell) to thousands of sportspersons from the continent with a carefree closing ceremony full of fabulous colours, throbbing music and frenzied dance at the historic on Sunday night. For the physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted athletes from 45 countries, this city gave an occasion to let their hair down and rejoice and recapture the moments of having participated in the continent’s biggest, and the world’s second biggest, multi sports event.
While the opening of the Jakarta Games was on a gigantic scale, a show of Indonesia’s rich cultural traditions, the closing function was all about Asia, a time to display the strong bonds of its nation members. Everything about it was a reflection of peace, stability, togetherness and prosperity, emphasised particularly by the two Koreas unifying for the first time at an Asian Games with the theme of single Asian community
If the opening ceremony assured the audience for the richness of Indonesia’s heritage, the closing of the Games was a modest one but extravagant in liveliness. It was a celebration for sportspersons, a wholehearted appreciation for coming to Jakarta and making the event a huge success as the athletes waved marched with their raincoats on and waving to the crowd.
The programmes that followed highlighted the cultures of not just Indonesia but that of other Asian nations by featuring artistes from India, China and Korea. But the focus was on music. There was Sidharth Slathia from India, the much acclaimed icon and Super Junior from Korea besides Indonesia’s own talents like Isyana Saraswati, Dira Sugandi, RAN and Bunga Citra Lestari. They had set the jam-packed stadium on fire with their singing.
Before the musical jamboree began, the athletes came into the stadium to loud cheers. The loudest cheers, always reserved for the host country’s athletes, was not confined to them alone as the spectators applauded in unison, some even bowing their heads, in appreciation of the Chinese and Japanese athletes taking the first two places, respec- tively, on the medal chart.
For the locals, the added joy was the superb performance by their own athletes with a fourthplace standing on the medal tally. The Indian contingent, led by women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, was in high spirits having put up its best ever performance in Asian Games with 69 medals, 15 of them gold.
For India, Indonesia had turned out to be a happy hunting ground and they will carry back the rich memories of the fortnight-long event. But the Games would not have achieved the success they did without the hosts of young volunteers who carried the burden of guiding people, especially the media, with all their smiles intact. They tirelessly worked day and night to give the hosts a clean chit. There is no doubt that these young volunteers are the crucial components in the smooth conduct of any Games. They deserve all the kudos.
However, the Games flame doused down with Olympic Council of India chief’, Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah calling on all sportspersons of the continent to meet in four years at Hangzhou (China) and the symbolic handing over of the OCA Flag to Mayor of Hangzhou Xu Li Yi.