In most events, the Opening show glitters and Glasgow was no exception –
as Commonwealth Games got off to a glittering start. There is oft repeated phrase ‘It's a dog's
life’ – meaning life is hard and unpleasant. There is another phrase associated with dog –
‘dog’s day’….which actually refers to the sultry days of summer.
The Scottish Terrier (also known as the Aberdeen Terrier), popularly
Scottie, is a breed that originated in Scotland. They are an independent and
rugged breed with a wiry outer coat and a soft dense undercoat. They are a small breed of terrier with a
distinctive shape and have had many roles in popular culture. These sturdy dogs have short legs; the way it
is groomed can make it look even shorter. The head is long in proportion to the
rest of the dog. The almond-shaped eyes are small and set well apart. The
erect, pointed ears are pricked and set well up on the head ~ and 41 of them
were on duty at Commonwealth at Glasgow............ as each of the 71 competing nations and
territories was led into Celtic Park by
a Scottish Terrier wearing a tartan coat emblazoned with the country's name.
There were 41 dogs on duty, with most of them doing a double shift
including a quick costume change. Some of the Scotties strode forward with
purpose, others scurried from side to side and the shy ones had to be picked up
and carried by their owners. The iconic dogs were the defining image of a
ceremony that contained plenty of memorable moments. Thirty of the dogs walked
around the stadium twice in order to lead out all 71 nations and territories
taking part, resulting in a quick five-minute costume change mid-ceremony. The
dogs wore a maroon check coat bearing the name of their designated nation,
while their owners wore matching wool trousers and skirts. They had been
recruited from dog groomers and Scottish Terrier groups, in secret, so as not
to ruin the surprise for the global audience.
The 20th Commonwealth Games kicked off to a spectacular opening ceremony
in front of 40,000 people at Celtic Park in Glasgow. 71 nations, who will
compete across 17 sports over the next 11 days, witnessed an electrifying
atmosphere when Glasgow put together a good show on Wednesday night. Scottish singers Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle
performed live at the ceremony, at the same time six-time Olympic champion
Chris Hoy also made an appearance at the home of Celtic Football Club.
India, by the virtue of being the previous hosts were the first in the opening
ceremony parade around Celtic Park. The
Indian contingent was led by Olympic silver medallist pistol shooter, Vijay
Kumar; 221 athletes walked in the background of bollywood songs. Bangladesh and Malaysia followed – next was
the small contingent from Maldives. Australia has incredible record at
Commonwealth games and they hae 400 athletes participating this time. Before
Kiwiland, there were Nauru, Kiribati, Cook Island and Fiji....
In a break from tradition, the 71 competing nations entered the arena in
continental groups, rather than in alphabetical order. On a sombre note, the Malaysians wore black
armbands in tribute to the 298 people who lost their lives when flight MH17 was
shot down over Ukraine last week. The
ceremony also had a UNICEF fundraising element, with champion Scottish cyclist
Sir Chris Hoy and actor Ewan McGregor reminding the crowd - both in the arena
and around the world - of the difference they could make to impoverished and
ill children throughout the Commonwealth. Ewan introduced the batting maestro –
little Master Sachin Tendulkar, who made an appeal on behalf of UNICEF in a
short video.
Here are some titbits :
ü With judo coming back into the Commonwealth Games fold after 12
years, Indian judokas looked a confident lot as they begin their campaign here
tomorrow, aiming to produce the best-ever performance by the country in the
quadrennial event. This is the third time that judo has been in Commonwealth
Games after 1990 in Auckland and 2002 in Manchester and India had won two
medals each in both the editions.
ü Four members of Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games team sparked a
police response after going for a bicycle ride down one of Scotland’s busiest
stretches of motorway. They were spotted
cycling down the M74 before police intervened near the exit for Motherwell and
Hamilton and informed them they were breaking the law.
ü Katarina Johnson-Thompson withdrew after suffering a foot injury. The 21-year-old is ranked No1 in the world
and was the favourite to win gold for England in the heptathlon, but has
withdrawn after suffering a 'stress reaction' in her take-off foot for the long
jump.
ü A participant, a gold medallist at that was ruled out of
competing in Glasgow... because the defending champion lost her jacket. Nur
Ayuni Farhana Abdul Halim was left devastated
after being forced to quit Commonwealth Games because her competition jacket
was lost. She had won gold in 10 metre
air rifle pairs four years ago... the rules clearly state that a rifle shooter
must wear a jacket; Team manager Musa Omar said he was left with no choice but
to withdraw Ayuni from competition after the missing luggage, believed to be in
London, failed to show in time for Monday’s registration ahead of Thursday’s
start of competition.
ü The jacket of a shooter is there to aid in holding the rifle,
ensuring the best accuracy, and to protect. There are strict rules in shooting when it
comes to the proper equipment, as there would be in any major sport. There are
rules regarding the jacket, trousers, and even 'undergarments'. Strange that a
rule has kept a medallist out of reckoning.
ü In a first of its kind, male boxers will not wear head guards at
the games for first time in 32 years as experts say it is safer without them. Male boxers have worn head guards since the
1982 Commonwealth Games and now experts say they actually increase the risk of
injury, not decrease it. The men will also fight under a pro-style 10-point
scoring system as part of rule changes by the International Boxing Association
(AIBA) last year. However, female boxers
would still wear as women's boxing makes debut at Glasgow 2014
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar.
24th July 2014.
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