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Amazing start of the 11th SA Games

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News Created: 29/01/2010

A unique combination of light and water show and a brilliant display of fireworks coloured the Dhaka sky in the opening ceremony of the 11th SA Games the biggest sports extravaganza in South Asia at Dhaka on Friday 29 January 2010.

Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina formally inaugurated the event at the Bangabandhu National Stadium which is being participated by more than 2,500 athletes from eight South Asian countries

Ace shooter and Commonwealth Games gold medalist of Bangladesh Asif Hossain Khan carried the national flag leading a 453-member strong Bangladesh contingent in the march-past. The colourful occasion was applauded by the packed audience of the venue.

Popular crooners Andrew Kishore, Sabina Yasmin and Shuvro Dev sang the welcome song of the SA Games.

Honourable Finance Minister and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Abul Mal Abdul Muhith, MP, President of Bangladesh Olympic Association General Mohammad Abdul Mubeen and State Minister for Youth and Sports Ahad Ali Sarker spoke on the great occasion.

Muhith urged the participating athletes to uphold the spirit of modern Olympic movement- Swifter, Stronger and Higher.

The prime minister hoisted the Games’ flag to declare the meet officially open upon conclusion of the welcome speech and hundreds of pigeons and balloons were flown into the sky immediately afterwards.

Legendary footballer Kazi Salahuddin kindled the cauldron after the torch rounded the stadium with Lutfunnessa Bakul , Jewel Rana, Rakibul Hasaan, injured freedom fighter Gulam Mustafa, Akram Khan and Mahbub Alam ran around the track. National footballer Aminul Haque and athlete Nazmunnahar Beauty took the oath on behalf of all participating athletes..

Kutumb, the Games’ mascot, accompanied by Mishuk and Duronto, the mascots of previous two SA Games hosted by Dhaka respectively in 1985 and 1993 also appeared in the venue enthralling the audience.

The students of Bharateswari Homes performed a butterfly dance at the onset of cultural show setting the pulse after a poem of Rabindranath Tagore and a song of National poet Kazi Nazrul Islam was presented by a play. Thousands of students from different city schools, donning traditional outfits, choreographed different songs ranging from folk to patriotic and the display at the gallery changed accordinglyA total 3000 students from Dhaka Eden College performed at the gallery in what the organisers called Callisthenic Display. The display includes 20 different portraits matching with the ground activities.

Around 600 indigenous Santals and another 300 students portrayed the struggle of the people of the region against the British colonial regime playing the dance drama ‘Nacholer Rani’. As the lights went off signaling the aquatic and laser shows, the main attractions of the opening ceremony the audience geared up to a fascinating event..

Lasers of green, yellow, red coloured the sky in a vivid display, the fireworks burst and exploded taking the crowd and the surrounding areas into a fairy tale situation. The lasers coloured the water, the fountains came alive in an atmosphere of paradise. The pulsating show thrilled the audience and made a lasting memory in the mind of the sports lovers of the country. The 11th edition of SA Games definitely started in the grandest of manners.

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