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The opening ceremony of the 2014 Glasgow Games proved to be a grand affair; it was a real ‘spectacle’, unlike any other that Scotland had ever witnessed. Previously, Sir Chris Hoy had stated that Glasgow would deliver "the biggest and best Commonwealth Games we've ever seen", and things certainly started on the right track yesterday.
Plenty of glitzy, captivating attractions at Celtic Park
There were seemingly innumerable instances of wondrous sights which captured the eyes of the viewers, including various Scottish cultural signifiers such as the kilts, adorned not just by the Scottish contingent, but also by nations like the Bahamas. But perhaps the most heartwarming sight was that of the Scottish terriers wearing tartan coats emblazoned with the countries’ names, leading each nation in the parade. There were 41 dogs in all assigned for this particular purpose, and most of them, if not all, added great charm to this grand spectacle.
Unlike the London Olympics in 2012, where the Queen made a rather dramatic entrance by arriving at the stadium in a helicopter accompanied by James Bond, yesterday’s opening ceremony was a more traditional affair wherein the Queen entered the arena in a Rolls Royce with Prince Philip, as Susan Boyle sang Mull of Kintyre.
Another deviation from the usual norms of the Games was that of the 71 competing nations entering the arena in continental groups, rather than in alphabetical order. More than 4,500 sports persons from 71 Commonwealth nations participated in the parade for the Games that will showcase 17 disciplines over 11 days of competition.
The Royal Scottish Regiments delivered a scintillating performance, amidst a massive crowd of 40,100.
UNICEF and the Malaysian airline tragedy bring spectators close to tears
The ceremony also had a UNICEF fund raising element, wherein actors like James McAvoy and Evan McGregor along with sporting legends like Chris Hoy and Sachin Tendulkar informed the world that the organizers had come up with an international, interactive appeal to raise money for the children of the Commonwealth through UNICEF. There were several visuals depicting the plight of poor kids around the world, which added a humane touch to the whole event.
World-renowned Scottish singers Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle performed live at the ceremony infusing a rare brand of joy and excitement, which the organizers had promised to deliver.
The Indian contingent marched in after Bangladesh, with Vijay Kumar as their flag bearer, while scores of popular Bollywood songs echoed all around the arena.
The Malaysian team wore black armbands, as a mark of respect to the 298 victims of the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine, and later a moment of silence was observed in memory of the lost ones. The incident clearly tugged at the hearts of all the spectators, as many of them were seen close to tears.
The Queen’s speech
The Queen’s Baton had travelled more than 100,000 miles around the world visiting 71 nations before arriving back in Glasgow. At the culmination of the ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II, who had arrived with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, revealed the secret message she had put in the baton. Reading it out as she formally declared the Games open, she said: "The baton relay represents a calling together of people from every part of the Commonwealth and serves as a reminder of our shared ideals and ambitions as a diverse, resourceful and cohesive family."
Wishing good luck to the competing athletes, the Queen added: "Your accomplishments over the coming days will encourage us all to strengthen the bonds that unite us. You remind us that young people, those under 25 years of age, make up half of our Commonwealth citizens; and it is to you that we entrust our values and our future.”
“It now gives me the greatest pleasure to declare the 20th Commonwealth Games open," she finished.
Shortly after, Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, gave a short speech. He appealed to everybody present at Celtic Park to observe a moment's silence for the victims of the Malaysian airlines plane crash. Concluding his speech, he said, "The Commonwealth Games belong to us all. Welcome to Scotland." Three Scottish athletes took an oath on behalf of all the athletes participating at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The fireworks which followed lit up Celtic park in a mesmerizing array of colours.
Glasgow delivers!
Glasgow was awarded the Games on 9 November 2007, at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Colombo, Sri Lanka, seeing off rival Abuja, in Nigeria, in a head-to-head by 47 votes to 24. Six years, eight months and 15 days later, Scotland's largest city has finally solidified its greatness through one of the most captivating opening ceremonies of all time.
This was primed to serve as a stage for Scotland to emerge in the global arena as a prominent figure, and it is definitely hasn’t disappointed with the opening act.
"This is our house and you're all very welcome," declared Karen Dunbar at the start. This statement very well reveals the contrast between the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, and the ceremony at Celtic Park, wherein unlike the former, Glasgow seemed more welcoming and devoid of multiple layered political undertones.
