Trisha Ghosal at the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony was all about bright lights, colours and music. The flavour was traditional Chinese all around. China’s President in the midst of all the glitz and glamour, it was a real show of soft power.
The standout moment for me, however, was when the anchor called out my country’s name “India” and the Indian players walked out behind our flag bearers Lovlina Borgohain and Harmanpreet Singh.
We were designated specific tickets like other spectators and the row I was sitting in had no Indians so when the team came out I shouted thinking my voice would go unheard because I am alone here but somehow the moment the anchor announced “India” all of us Indian spectators and journalists screamed in unison. How did we manage that is difficult to say but it was a moment I will cherish forever.
The Indian athletes looking dapper in their traditional Indian outfits were smiling and waving the Indian flag at the crowd and the crowd continued cheering for minutes. It was a mesmerising 5 minutes of pure adrenaline rush.
The other countries were called out one by one alphabetically and the loudest cheers were heard for the People’s Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, China & Macao and of course China. The stadium was so beautifully lit up that even players were stopping in between and taking selfies and groupfies to keep these memories intact. The energy of the spectators was unmatched. They kept waving flags, torches and clapping from the beginning to the end of the ceremony. There was palpable excitement all around declaring the Asian Games 2023 well and truly open!
Now to the competitions and yet again I am waiting to see the tri colour go up and hear the Jana Gana Mana.
Also Read: Hangzhou Scores High with Opening Ceremony for the Ages