The Hindu : A riot of colours

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 02, 2003

Sport

Sport - Afro-Asian Games

A riot of colours

By V.V. Subrahmanyam

An African dancer performs at the closing ceremony of the Afro-Asian Games at the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday. — Photo: Vino John

HYDERABAD NOV. 1. The closing ceremony of the inaugural edition of the Afro-Asian Games at the GMC Balayogi Stadium here may not have transported the near-capacity crowd into a world of fantasy. Yet, there was no mistaking the spirit of participation displayed by the sporting public from the twin cities.

The warm-up acts by the Services band of `Dare Devils' on motorcycles and the amazing tri-colour formations by the Suryakiran team of the Indian Air Force ensured a perfect start to the closing show. The `Spirit of Solidarity', enacted by 1000 dancers carrying torches, the Afro-Asian Carnival performed by the famous Umoja group and the lilting African tunes thrilled the spectators.

Fire service personnel put out a fire that threatened to go out of control after the motorcycle stunt riders completed their performance. — Photo: Vino John

The performance by members of the Imperial Circus from China also had the audience spellbound. The acrobatics by the two young gymnasts exhibited their ability to mix creativity with flexibility. Reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the two Continents was the Afro-Asian Carnival performed by Diana Hadad and Hisham Abbas.

The crowd enjoyed the virtual riot of colour despite the lengthy speeches. An effort was made to convey the theme of the Games — `Two Continents, One Spirit' — and it struck an emotional note among the crowd.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport