Double Olympic medalist badminton star PV Sindhu and Indian men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh led India as flag bearers in the athletes’ parade for the opening ceremony of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The opening ceremony of the 22nd Commonwealth Games was held with much fanfare and in front of an estimated 30,000 spectators, showcasing the best of Birmingham and the whole of Great Britain.
Drummer-percussionist Abraham Paddy Tetti kicked things off at the Alexander Stadium, and then, led by Indian classical singer and composer Ranjana Ghatak, the segment was meant to showcase the city’s diversity.
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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai welcomed participants to Birmingham, where she had taken refuge after being shot by the Taliban in Pakistan.
“Tonight teams from 72 countries and territories will join the people of Birmingham to celebrate friendship across borders. The young athletes competing over the next two weeks will represent millions of girls and boys across the Commonwealth. Our shared hope for a future where every child can go to school, where women can participate fully in society, where families can live in peace and dignity. In the next few weeks as we welcome the incredible athletes of the Commonwealth Games Let’s remember that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential and fulfill their wildest dreams. Now it’s my honor to say, welcome to Birmingham,” he said.
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The Games, the biggest and most expensive sporting event in the UK since the 2012 London Olympics, have had to deal with the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been almost 10 years since the opening ceremony of the London Games.
The opening act kicked off 11 days of sporting action in the city, with 19 events across 15 venues across the West Midlands. Seven of these matches will be played in Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city with a population of 1.15 million.
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More than 5,000 athletes from 72 countries will participate in 280 events across 19 sports.
Britain is hosting the mega event for the third time in 20 years as the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has been unable to attract new bidders from the 56 nations that make up the sports body due to cost constraints. .
Stepping in to host the Games after the South African city of Durban pulled out due to financial difficulties, organizers went ahead with no changes to the original schedule at a time when the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and this year’s Asian Games Both were deferred for one year. Until COVID-19.
(with input from agencies)
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