Asian Games open with
a 'beautiful meeting'
A colourful and vibrant opening ceremony showcasing the rich cultural heritage of South Korea
marked the inauguration of the 14th Asian Games at the Busan Asiad Main stadium on Sunday.
South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung declared the Games
open amidst thunderous cheers from the capacity crowd
signalling the launch of the biggest-ever Asian Games, which
will also be remembered for the participation of
North Korea in any sporting event in this country for the first time.
The evening sky lit up with dazzling fireworks as the
president declared the Games open to herald the millenium's
first Asiad, in the presence of a host of dignitaries who
have descended on this picturesque port city to witness the
spectacle.
Competitive action will unfold on Monday as over 6700
athletes from all the 44 countries affiliated to the Olympic
Council of Asia will battle for glory over the next two weeks, with powerhouses China and Japan expected to maintain their supremacy.
The 16-day sporting extravaganza, being held under the
slogan of "New Vision, New Asia", will see competition in 38
discplines, with the new additions of modern pentathlon and
bodybuilding, as the Games return to South Korea after a gap
of 16 years. Seoul had hosted the Games in 1986.
After the brief speeches and the formalities, the
participating teams walked into the stadium amidst loud cheers
from the spectators many of whom had thronged the stadium well
ahead of the scheduled start.
The largest ever Indian contingent, hoping to make a mark at the Asian level after their commendable
show in the Manchester Commonwealth Games, got a rousing
ovation as they walked into the stadium, attired in their
traditional blue blazers and saffron turbans.
Mercurial hockey star Dhanraj Pillay led the contingent
holding the Indian tricolour as the athletes acknowledged the
cheers of the crowd and soaked in the electifying atmosphere
at the brand new stadium, built for the 2002 football World
Cup.
Apart from the fireworks and absorbing cultural
programmes, the heart-touching entry of the two Koreas under
one flag at the end of the march past was one of the
highlights of the two-and-a-half hour ceremony
depicting the theme "a beautiful meeting".
This is the first time North Korea is participating in
any international sporting event held in South Korea since the
country was divided in 1948. The two Koreas entered the
stadium hand in hand just like in the 2000 Sydney Olympics
holding the "Hanbando" flag which shows the map of the Korean
peninsula.
Apart from all the action in various sporting arenas
which could see the emergence of new heroes, the Games will be
remebered as a historic event that contributed significantly
to the unification of Korea and the peace of Asia.
The ceremony began with a group of musicians playing the
traditional Korean wind instrument 'nabal' as dancers joined
in to form the emblem of the 14th Asian Games which has an
estimated viewership of nearly three billion in Asia alone.
After all the dignitaries had taken their seats, the
teams made their way into the stadium according to the Korean
alphabetical order, with Nepal coming in first and the host
country taking the rear as per the Games convention.
The south Korean president then declared the Games open
saying: "While wishing for the enhancement of harmony and peace
in Asia, I declare the 14th Asian Games being held at the
beautiful maritime city of Busan open."
Led by the classical Korean drum and fife band, eight
flag bearers then entered the ground with the OCA flag. All
eight were former athletes who had won a medal either in the
Olympics or Asian Games.
Two Korean athletes - Mun Dae-Sung (taekwondo) and Ryu Ji
-Hye (table tennis) then took the oath on behalf of all the
participating athletes before the Asian Games flame was
ceremonially brought inside the stadium.
After the athletes departed, the show titled "a beautiful
meeting" depicting a meeting which took place two thousand
years ago between King Suro, the founder of the Gaya kingdom,
and princess Huh kept the spectators entralled.