Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
Fireworks sparkle over the MCG and Melbourne during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in the southern Australian city yesterday. - REUTERS
MELBOURNE:
THE XVIII Commonwealth Games, known universally as the 'Friendly Games', opened in a blaze of colour, amid the thunderous boom of fireworks which lit up the skyline over the world famous Melbourne Cricket Ground last night (early Wednesday Jamaica time).
Before 84,000 noisy spectators, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II declared the Games open at 10:25 p.m.
Minutes before, there were loud cheers as the last four Queen's Baton runners, one current and three former Australian track greats - Cathy Freeman, Ron Clarke,
Marjorie Jackson-Nelson and John Landy - made their way into the MCG. The baton, at the end of a 180,000-km journey around the world, bore the Queen's message to the Commonwealth and its athletes.
EXCITING
The ceremony was at times patriotic, amazing and exciting. The sight which was most near and dear to the hearts of the mostly Melbourne crowd was the sight of a green-and-yellow tram coming down from the roof of the Southern Stand, to land in the middle of the MCG.
Then hundreds of citizens magically hurried from the tram. Clowns, giant koalas, a flying machine with flags and propellers all added to the excitement and drama.
Approximately 4,500 athletes from 71 Commonwealth countries representing a community of 1.8 billion people, will compete in Melbourne's largest ever sporting event. The city hosted the 1956 Olympic Games, but those Games attracted only 3,184 athletes.
HUGE ROAR
The competing countries, with athletes dressed in various brightly-coloured national costumes, marched in by region. Europe, with 'mother country' England, were first followed by Africa, Asia, the Americas, Jamaica and the Caribbean and Oceania which included hosts Australia. The 'home team' and its 427 athletes were greeted by a huge roar.
Jamaica's flag was carried by veteran sprint hurdler Brigitte Foster-Hylton.
One of the most moving moments of the ceremony was the singing of 'Happy Birthday' to Her Majesty, the matriarch of the Commonwealth. The Queen turns 80 in 37 days time.
Meanwhile, four days before the track and field competition begins, frantic efforts were being made to get Jamaica's sprint queen Veronica Campbell into the Games.
General team manager, Lloyd Gooden, said yesterday that the 2004 Athens Olympics 200m gold medallist has been having 'visa problems' after staying behind to complete exams at Arkansas University, but is expected to be here by tomorrow.
"We are trying to get her in as rapidly as we can.
We are getting help from the Canadian High Commission," Gooden said.
The Australian High Commis-sion in Ottawa, Canada, is responsible for the processing of visas for Jamaican athletes and officials at these Games.
Campbell, a silver medallist in the 100m at the Manchester 2002 Games and who was favoured to carry the Jamaica flag at the opening ceremony, will compete in the 200m and 4x100m here.
Competition begins in earnest today. Members of Jamaica's contingent are competing in badminton, swimming, cycling, table tennis and squash today.
