Surreal giant koalas, a tram with wings, aerial ballerinas and a performing duck took centre stage as the 18th Commonwealth Games opened in Melbourne on Wednesday.
The ceremony was preceded by a game of ”backyard” cricket, using garbage bins for stumps, as more than 81Â 000 people filled the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
An 18-beat countdown highlighted the previous hosts of the Games and as the sun set, a flotilla of craft sailed down the Yarra River that cuts through Melbourne.
The 18 surfboats were flanked by illuminated fish and water creatures representing every nation.
Inside the stadium, the spotlight fell on a small boy carrying a skateboard and a toy duck — his adventures the key theme of the ceremony. The idea was inspired by The Duck Poem by Australian writer Michael Leunig.
A winged tram — the public transport synonymous with Melbourne — flew into the middle of the stadium, where passengers alighted and removed overcoats to reveal colourful costumes.
The flags of the United Kingdom, which hosted the 2002 edition in Manchester; Australia; and 2010 host India were raised, and the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven into the stadium.
After Australia’s national anthem was played, fireworks were let off around the stadium and down the Yarra River. Aboriginal dancers and performers dressed as birds entertained the boy before his duck transformed into a winged female dancer.
He followed her up into the stadium and found himself stranded on a cloud.
In a surreal sequence, koalas tried to rescue the boy with ladders and kites. A mother koala wheeled her baby into the stadium in a pram, then inflated and rose into the air. The head of another koala fell off and a game of soccer was played with its head.
Another koala entered the stadium on a giant flip-flop and another unzipped his fur to be left in his Y-front shorts.
Just when the boy was about to be rescued, a thunderclap sparked a mini rainstorm — a nod to Melbourne’s ever-changing weather.
The ceremony also featured ballerinas from the Australian Ballet Company performing in the air while their movements were mimicked by motorcycles on the ground. When a puff of smoke revealed a real duck in the boy’s arms, the parade of nations began.
The Commonwealth Games flag was raised, the athlete’s oath given and New Zealand opera singer Dame Kiri de Kanawa sang Happy Birthday to the queen, whose 80th birthday is April 21. The queen was to open the Games officially.
The MCG opened in 1854 but has been renovated for the Games. It also hosted the 1956 Olympic Games.
Andrew Walsh was the ceremony’s artistic director and producer.
SA hope for flying start
South Africa enjoyed their best Commonwealth Games medal haul to date four years ago and will look to their swimmers and rugby sevens side to give them a flying start at Melbourne on Thursday.
South Africa’s men pulled off a major shock in 2004 when they won the Olympic Games 100m freestyle swimming relay title in world record time and they are determined to lower the mark in the final.
”We have two of the medal winners from the 100m [Roland Schoeman and Ryk Neethling] and another guy who won everything in the American college season [Lyndon Ferns],” said head coach Dirk Lange. ”It would be a real surprise for us if we were not on top in this [4x100m freestyle relay] event.
”People underestimated us in Athens and all the guys are good, so there is no weak link in the relay team,” team anchor Neethling said. ”Maybe it scared some people, surprised some others, but it’s the beginning of something great for South African swimming.
”We are all friends and we have the similar feelings we had in Athens, so a world record is definitely our target and we are capable of achieving it. The relay on the opening night will be a good start for us.”
South Africa’s rugby sevens team should have few problems qualifying from pool D, which also features Samoa, Tonga and Uganda. But in Friday’s knockout round, they will face either England or Australia for a place in the semifinals.
”This a tough pool for us,” said coach Paul Treu. ”But to win any tournament you have to beat everyone you face, and we have prepared for the Commonwealth Games knowing that we have to win every match.”
Treu was skipper of the South African side who won bronze at the 2002 Games in Manchester.
South Africa is also well represented in the squash tournament, which gets under way on Thursday.
Craig van der Wath has a tough opener against Wales’ Alex Gough, while Rodney Durbach meets Chirag Shah of Kenya. In the women’s event, Diana Argyle meets England’s Tanya Bailey.
In women’s weightlifting, Portia Vries is a challenger to India’s defending champion Kunjarani Devi in the 48kg division.
South Africa also have teams in action in the badminton mixed team’s event, men’s basketball and men’s table tennis.
The country won 46 medals in Manchester in 2002, of which nine were gold. South Africa’s best gold medal haul to date came back in 1954 when they collected 16 in a total of 36. — AFP, Sapa-AP
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