A personal reflection of the opening of the 21st Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast from our director of media and PR, Barnie Choudhury.
A personal reflection of the opening of the 21st Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast from our director of media and PR, Barnie Choudhury
The buzz outside the Gold Coast’s Carrara Stadium was audible. Massive queues. Excited voices. Faces from all over the Commonwealth patiently waiting to witness history. Polite security and helpful volunteers easing the final moments of a journey that Australia had been planning for the past four years.
Inside, as the seats filled, it became clear that 35,000 people would have a night to remember. An hour before the opening of the 21st Commonwealth Games, before the 1.5 billion people watched the spectacle live on their televisions and big screens and before the rain, they were treated to a programme of their own. Old names reminiscing about Games past. Australian pop hopefuls belting out tuneful ditties. And rehearsing the mandatory 10 second countdown clock welcoming the rest of the world to join in the fun.
Throughout my time in New Zealand, and now Australia, I have been struck by the respect paid to the indigenous communities. This opening ceremony was no different. It began with a tribute to the country’s Aboriginal history. A didgeridoo orchestra and hundreds of Aboriginal peoples excelled in a beautifully choreographed dance, passed down the centuries. And wafting across the Carrara was the acrid smell of burning native plants, a symbol of cleansing and wishing well to those enjoying the spectacle. But the ceremony also showed-off Australian culture, with its golden beaches, surfers and lifeguards in a vision of life in paradise. The surreal replica giant whale carried an important Commonwealth message that climate change is real, and sport can transcend social policy to highlight what matters in our world.
The ceremony held the crowd in rapt attention. The applause was more than polite, it was enthusiastic and spontaneous. It was a message to the 6,500 athletes from 71 members states and territories, who marched under their nation's flags that tonight they were united in wishing them well, rivalries suspended, united as the Commonwealth family should be.
The president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Louise Martin’s inspirational message of how in 1962 in Perth she felt overwhelmed and excited as a young swimmer, would have resonated among those dreaming of glory. Commonwealth sport, she said, made her what she is today, unlocking her potential. And in decades to come, those who were standing, representing their country, will know what she meant.
We were reminded of the momentous 388-day voyage of the Queen’s Baton, which carried Her Majesty’s message across the Commonwealth and territories. It was one of unity and recognition that the ancient stories told by the indigenous people of Australia that we are all linked and that these Friendly Games connect people of different backgrounds and nationalities. A fitting missive as her son, Prince Charles, officially opened the Games on The Queen’s behalf.
Over the next 11 days sport men and women will strain every nerve and sinew to realise their dream. For the first time as many men and women will receive medals. These Games include a Reconciliation Action Plan, respecting and recognising the first nation people of the Commonwealth. Another first. And this is the largest inclusive para-sport medal events programme ever, the biggest of any international sports event to date.
We, in the Commonwealth, are connected by common laws, a common culture and a common language. And in that vein, I have learnt a new phrase: ‘Jingeri wallal wahlu’, which means ‘Greetings all of you’. Jingeri wallal wahlu, for an exciting, inspiring and successful Commonwealth Games.