Commonwealth Game 2018 Opening Ceremony, Highlights: Prince Of Wales Declares Games Open
CWG 2018 Opening Ceremony, Highlights: The Indian contingent at the ceremony, consisting of over 200 athletes, was led by flag-bearer PV Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver medallist.
A blast from a didgeridoo, an Australian Aboriginal wind instrument in the form of a long wooden tube, a sprinkling of royal stardust and a strong message of unity lit up the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games at Australia's Gold Coast on Wednesday. The opening ceremony started with a heavy downpour that lashed the 35,000 crowd at Carrara Stadium. Britain's Prince Charles and wife Camilla were among the guests. The ceremony began with a message on the screen that read: "Welcome to the oldest living culture on Earth." A scene from a group of friends surfing off the beach gave way to a virtual journey through space and time as the stadium was engulfed in a galaxy of stars and blue light. In contrast, just outside the stadium, about 100 Aboriginal activists protested against what they have labelled the "Stolenwealth Games". The sporting action in the Games, which feature 71 nations and territories, gets underway on Thursday.
Highlights of 2018 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, straight from Carrara Stadium
18:10 IST:Â Thank you for joining us.
18:05 IST: 2018 Commonwealth Games are officially open.
On behalf of the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty the Queen, HRH The Prince of Wales declares the XXI Commonwealth Games OPEN! #SHARETHEDREAM pic.twitter.com/SQispC8KZi
— Commonwealth Games Federation (@thecgf) April 4, 2018
18:00 IST: Prince Charles declares the Commonwealth Games open.
17:55 IST: The passing of the baton!
And then from @kurtfearnley to Aussie netball royalty, @LizzyLegsEllis!
— 7CommGames (@7CommGames) April 4, 2018
Outstanding. #7CommGames #GC2018 #ShareTheDream pic.twitter.com/8BOlZ9gOS4
17:43 IST: Trivia -- There were 3,800 baton bearers in Australia.
17:42 IST: Susie O'Neill, five-time CWG silver medallist, brings the Queen's baton.Â
17:39 IST:Â Louise Martin, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, talks about the importance of the Commonwealth
MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER BEFORE
— Commonwealth Games Federation (@thecgf) April 4, 2018
Clear message from the President of the CGF that the Commonwealth, today, is more relevant than ever before. #ModernCommonwealth #MoreRelevantThanEverBefore #LoveTheCommonwealth @commonwealthsec @gc2018 pic.twitter.com/R5blLwfOYc
17:30 IST:Â Peter Beattie, Chairman of the Gold Coast 2018 CWG Corporation, is delivering the welcome speech.
17:26 IST:Â Ceremony of Flag is underway. Six athlete are carrying the flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
17:25 IST: Traditional smoking ceremony is enthralling.
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RECONCILIATION
— Commonwealth Games Federation (@thecgf) April 4, 2018
Traditional Smoking Ceremony...Recognising and respecting indigenous people and rights across Australia and the Commpnwealth. This is how we are different. This is how the Commonwealth stands out. #MoreRelevantThanEverBefore @thecgf @australia @gc2018 #Australia pic.twitter.com/kcELvi9Uka
17:20 IST:Â Following the Parade, Australian singer/songwriter Katie Noonan mesmerizes the audience.
17:15 IST:Â Participants are intermingling and greeting each other at the Stadium.
17:14 IST:Â And the Parade of Nations ends. Stay tuned for more updates
17:13 IST: The hosts, Australia, get a grand welcome!
And the loudest, proudest welcome to our host nation... AUSTRALIA! pic.twitter.com/78Rs8CjO9a
— Commonwealth Games Federation (@thecgf) April 4, 2018
17:11 IST: Australian Prime Minister enjoying the opening ceremony!
Get around them @TurnbullMalcolm! #GC2018 #7CommGames pic.twitter.com/0xVSM3Qpmp
— 7CommGames (@7CommGames) April 4, 2018
17:03 IST:Â New Zealand is welcomed with the popular Sia song 'Chandelier'
16:58 IST: Trinidad and Tobago, who have participated in every CWG games except 1950 and 1986, walk in proudly.
16:52 IST:Â The orchestra is playing the popular English number 'Cheap Thrills' by Sia in the background.Â
16:45 IST:Â Here comes INDIA! PV Sindhu is leading the Indian contingent, which is all smiles.
Â
#Proud moment for us to see our pride #NationalFlag flying high in the hands of @Pvsindhu1 at #GC2018@afiindia @BAI_Media @BFI_basketball @BFI_official @OfficialCFI @TheHockeyIndia @OfficialNRAI @indiasquash @ttfitweet @WeightliftingIN @FederationWrest @ParalympicIndia pic.twitter.com/6I63YG74p0
— IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) April 4, 2018
16:42 IST: Canada, which has more females participants than males, make their way out to the stadium.
16:40 IST:Â Tanzania receive a warm welcome as they participate in the Parade of the Nations.
16:35 IST:Â Gambia, a small West African country, participating with just six athletes
16:30 IST:Â Malawi, a landlocked country in southeastern Africa, are enjoying their time.
Malawi got moves. #GC2018 #7CommGames pic.twitter.com/3VoGQy3eIS
— 7CommGames (@7CommGames) April 4, 2018
16:28 IST:Â After the countries of Europe, the countries from Africa are now walking entering with their contingent.
16:25 IST:Â There are 39 male flag-bearers, 32 female and Athletics is the most-represented sport, with 24 flag-bearers competing in Athletics.
16:17 IST:Â Hosts of 2014Â CWG games, Scotland leads out the Parade of Nations.
16:15 IST:Â The athletes, coaches are now making their way to the stadium.
16:10 IST:Â Ricki-Lee Coulter sings Technicolour Love.
16:07 IST: The Queen's baton, which is now entering the stadium, was passed across the islands, territories and island, who played their part each in bringing the baton home. Damien Rider - an ultra marathon runner - is the baton bearer.
16:03 IST:Â PV Sindhu all set to lead the Indian contingency.
Our #Champion @Pvsindhu1 is #AllSet to lead #TeamIndia in the 'Parade of the Nations' at the grand #OpeningCeremony of the @GC2018 #CommonwealthGames
— IOA - Team India (@ioaindia) April 4, 2018
Voice your support and wish us luck in our biggest #GoldQuest at the #GC2018 in #GoldCoast ! pic.twitter.com/E7Q2h3qAS2
15:55 IST: Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull take the stage. They are joined by Louis martin, Peter Beattie, Chairman of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, among others.
The Opening Ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games has begun! It tells a universal story - inspired by the peoples and landscape, cultures and history of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and today's modern Commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/LmzykC0Iob
— Commonwealth Games Federation (@thecgf) April 4, 2018
15:52 IST: The performers are now enacting a totem ceremony - the ritual of handing down of the knowledge from the ancestors to the young and future future generations.
15:49 IST: The 'Eagle Dance', a dance form of the Saibai Island, commences, which symbolises the preservation of the tribe and the future generation of the tribe.
15:45 IST:Â "The past is among us," says the announcer as performers usher in the stadium donning tribal costumes.
15:42 IST:Â Mau Power, the first rapper from the Torres Strait, lights up the CWG opening ceremony.
15:38 IST: The camera focuses on the beautiful sunset. Beautiful scenes from the stadium.
15:35 IST:Â The ceremony starts with the visualisation of the continents drifts.
15:31 IST: And the opening ceremony begins!
It's here! We're so excited to #SHARETHEDREAM with you all! pic.twitter.com/yT9tLWkiIJ
— Gold Coast 2018 (@GC2018) April 4, 2018
15:20 IST: We are 10 minutes away from the opening ceremony. Stay tuned, folks!
14:44 IST:Â Good luck to our Indian contingent, tweets Sania Mirza.
Good luck to our Indian contingent at the Commonwealth Games .. bring it home guys @thecgf
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) April 4, 2018
14:30 IST: Hours before the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to the Indian athletes.
All the best to the athletes representing India at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games! Our sportspersons have worked tremendously hard and the Games will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase their talent. Every Indian is cheering for our contingent. #GC2018 @GC2018
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 4, 2018
14:20 IST: Hello and welcome to the live blog of the opening ceremony of the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games straight from Carrara Stadium.
Carrara Stadium will be the centre-stage for glamour, theatre and entertainment as the venue for the opening ceremony. The Commonwealth will become one for the 'Parade of Nations', the 'Competitors' Oath' and the finale to the 'Queen's Baton Relay'.