Ashish seeks redemption with one final show

JAKARTA: Once the most decorated gymnasts of India, Ashish Kumar now prefers to keep a low profile. In a discipline dominated by China, Japan and South Korea, the 28-year-old knows that this is probably his last major competition, with gymnasts as young as 16-17 are dominating the scene.

“I want to repeat, perhaps better the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games feat, when I became the first Indian ever to win a medal (bronze). That was the best year for me; two Commonwealth Games medals and an Asian Games bronze,” says the affable boy who hones his art at the little-known privately-run National Sports Academy in Allahabad.

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