Mercy. Games open without a hitch

The delay in infrastructure development at the sports village and the city were forgotten as an Indian Air Force show, a laser show and cultural events each went without a hitch. A drizzle at the start of the ceremony had raised fears of the event being jinxed, but the rain, like the controversies, disappeared at just the right time.

President Pratibha Patil declared open the third CYG, the largest so far due with 71 countries. Various Union ministers, Chief Minister Vilassao Deshmukh and state ministers attended the ceremony.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was absent though his nephew and Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar was present.

Organising committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, preside7nt of Indian Olympic Association, sought to showcase the city as one of the fastest developing cities of the country that is making a mark internationally in the IT, automobile and animation industries.

Kalmadi, who is the city MP, thanked Puneites and political parties for making the event a success. 8220;The CYG will put the city on the international map. The event cannot be made successful by a single person or a party and I thank all political parties in the city for the cooperation,8221; Kalmadi said with special reference to Sharad Pawar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and several Union and state ministers.

8220;The interntational event has contributed a lot in raising world class infrastructure for the city,8221; he said. He felt the CYG had set the stage for a great Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The Indian Air Force enacted a show with Sarang helicopters and Akashganga paratroopers while Army Service Core did a motorcycle show. Hema Malini presented Ganesh Vandana and Shreya Ghoshal a welcome act. The stadium echoed with chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya as Hema Malini8217;s troupe performed a Ganesh aarti.

The ceremony was marked by a programme depicting Marathi culture: an audiovisual presentation of grand Maratha, a dhol and lezim performance, a carnival procession of Janta Raja, Peshwa, Lavani by Urmila Matondkar and a dance by actor Saif Ali Khan.

Earlier, contingents marched in to a thundering welcome from the audience. It was the smaller countries that won hearts with their traditional attire and dance sequences. The largest contingents were those of India, Australia, England and Canada.

The highlight of the function was the felicititation of Indian players led by ace shooter Abhinav Bindra who had led the country8217;s best ever performance in the recent Olympic Games in Beijing. Indian sportspersons Anjali Bhagwat, Dhanraj Pillai, Jitendra Kumar and others carried the baton relay. Badminton ace Saina Nehwal took the oath on behalf of the participants.

Representing the atheletes, Bindra said the CYG would promote sports among Indian youths.

A colourful firecracker display brought an end to the function.