GUANGZHOU – This city of more than 50 million people unveiled its rich history in fabulous rites while embracing its more than 12,000 guest athletes and officials from all over the region in a presentation that marked the official start of the 16th Asian Games here last night.
“This would be Guangzhou’s coming out party,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco Jr. before entering Hai Xin Sha stadium for the ceremonies put together by professionals and the help of less than a million volunteers from a nation that is roughly 1.3 billion strong.
The Philippine secretariat alone has 12 volunteers acting as liaison for the 10-man administration team.
In a nearly three-hour show, People’s Republic of China President Hu Jintao formally declared the Games open at around 9:50 p.m. after the state’s guests and a local crowd of hundreds of thousands had feasted on songs, dances, majestic fluvial parade and breathtaking fireworks show.
Liu Peng, China’s Minister of the General Administration of Sports, and Gungdong Province Governor Huang Huahua both delivered warm welcome addresses that put in a capsule GAGOC’s (Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee) hard work to ensure the success of this $7 billion undertaking that also seeks to outshine Beijing’s hosting of the Asian Games in 1990.
OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah expressed deep satisfaction for the efforts of GAGOC in sustaining the ideals of Olympism and providing the facilities for another successful edition of the quadrennial Games last held in Doha, Qatar.