Glasgow 2014

Monday, October 4, 2010

Opening Ceremony a triumph in itself - reports international media

'India has arrived' – the sentence sums up the reports by international media of the dazzling Opening Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi on Sunday.

Newspapers across Australia and United Kingdom used headlines like 'An ancient land opens its heart to the world', 'India opens doors to the world at opening ceremony'  to describe the two-hour cultural extravaganza that unfolded at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

People across Britain watched the Ceremony live on BBC. NRI Industrialist Lord Swraj Paul echoed the public reaction by stating, "India has done itself proud. It was a great show."

The British newspaper The Guardian said it was a moment of national pride for India.'India has arrived: spectacular ceremony opens Commonwealth Games,' read the newspaper's headline.

"This was the moment that 1.2 billion people – there are few in India who were still unaware of the event – had been waiting for," it added.

The Daily Mail was effusive in its praise of the ceremony which showcased the centuries-old Indian culture to a packed crowd.

"The XIX Commonwealth Games crawled up off the canvas last night with a display of pageantry and technical wizardry that, finally, projected the image India craved on to two billion television sets around the world.” the newspaper said.

The Australian media applauded the opening ceremony. "India put on its best face on Sunday night and pulled off a brilliant opening ceremony that was extraordinary in its ambition and execution. It was everything the organisers had promised and more - an energetic celebration of all India has been and all it intends to be," read The Daily Telegraph.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the ceremony as "A vibrant celebration of 5,000 years of Indian culture with just a hint of Bollywood showcased in a performance involving more than 6,000 artists.

"India has won the first unofficial gold medal of the Games - for best team uniform," it said. "The Indian athletes looked like royalty in their smart traditional maroon tops with gold braided scarves. Slick and sensational," it added.

Source: http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/news/opening_ceremony_triumph_itself_reports_international_media

The Queen’s Message Read Out at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Commonwealth Games 2010
The Queens Baton Relay 2010 Delhi concluded at the Opening Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium when the last batonbearer Vijender Singh handed over the baton to HRH Prince Charles. He then read out the Queen’s Message to the Athletes which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had placed inside the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi which started its journey to the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth from Buckingham Palace in October 2009. The baton travelled a stunning 1,90,000 kilometre before reaching the host nation in June 2010. Once in India, it travelled another 20,000 kilometre around the country before reaching its final destination Delhi on 30 September 2010.

Reproduced below is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Message to the Athletes:

“Just under a year ago, at Buckingham Palace, I placed this message in the Baton which then began its long journey to the Opening Ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games in Delhi. On its way, it was carried by relay runners through all the territories of the Commonwealth as an invitation to participate in these Games.

“It is particularly fitting that the 2010 Commonwealth Games are being held in India. Recently, we have celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the London Declaration, when Indian Independence brought into being the modern Commonwealth of Nations. Since then, it has grown from just eight member countries to its present membership of 53, represented here today by the 71 Commonwealth nations and territories participating in these Games. I firmly believe that when countries can compete in sport together like this, it serves as an inspiration to all nations to work for peace throughout the world.

“These Games, with their festival of sport and culture, involving the youth of the Commonwealth, would not be possible without the efforts of so many people, in India, and beyond, and without the participation of so many teams, the dedication of so many athletes, and the involvement of so many voluntary officials. To them all, and to all spectators, I send my very best wishes for what I hope will be experience of a lifetime. “I have much pleasure in declaring the 19th Commonwealth Games open.” ELIZABETH R.

Source: http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/news/queen%E2%80%99s_message_read_out_jawaharlal_nehru_stadium