I / Montego Bay (Jamaica) March 12, 2007
| A symphony of Reggae and Calypso rhythms formed the silhouette of a colourful and extravagant opening ceremony of the ninth Cricket World Cup at the Trelawny Stadium. Titled 'West Indian Energy', the opening ceremony unfolded in true West Indian style showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean, as boundaries disappeared with nine Island nations joining hands in an unprecedented effort to host the mega event. Three decades after their triumph in the first World Cup in 1975, the twice World cup champions sang and danced their way into 47-days of cricketing carnival. Reggae, dancehall, calypso and different musical genres, were pieced together featuring Caribbean dance sequences, fire-eaters and stilt-walkers playing cricket in a spellbound three-hour opening ceremony, watched by about 10,000 at the Trelawny Stadium and over 150 crore through television. Former West Indian all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, now in his 70s and acknowledged one of the greatest cricketer, officially declared the tournament open. "On behalf of the West Indies it is my honour and privelege to declare the ninth ICC Cricket World Cup officially open," he said. Particular attention was paid to the region's commitment to Carnival in the opening ceremony which cost $2.5 billion and brought to life with the help of over 2500 singers, dancers and performers. The biggest pan-Caribbean gala of West Indian music, culture and way of life was unfolded in front of 10,000 spectators present at the stadium. Region's top international artistes such as Sean Paul, Gregory Issacs, Beres Hammond, Buju Banton and Half Pint regaled the assembled audience with their musical genius and the list also included Allyson Hinds, commonly known as soca queen of the Caribbean. Sixteen teams paraded in alphabetic order but the West Indies being the hosts were the last to take the field. The only disconcerting notes for these squads, numbers 362 in all and 385 if one includes also the support staff, was that they were made to occupy the Eastern Stands of the stadiuim where red hot sun made them squirm in their seats. Most of them lost little time in getting rid of their blazers. Also noticeable was that no national flag was displayed in front of participating teams, probably to balance out the fact that West Indies, a group of islands, didn't have a uniform flag. The teams paraded with a child, intended to highlight the united stand for children and against the deadly AIDS epidemic. The Indian team, as most others, paraded in manner of hierarchy: captain Rahul Dravid walking out, followed by Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble, two senior most cricketers of the side, who in turn had Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag walking behind them. The players' declaration was done by West Indian captain Brian Lara while Steve Bucknor, the longest serving umpire, read the officials' declaration before Sir Garfield Sobers declared the 2007 World Cup open. Set in golden sunshine against a backdrop of pristine blue sea, the ceremony also featured introduction of World Cup mascot 'Mello', the orange raccoon like creature wearing a blue shirt over a white vest, and the officail song of the World Cup 'The Game of Love and Unity', sung by the trio of Rupee, Shaggy and Fayann Lyons. The tournament gets underway with the opening match between West Indies and Pakistan at Sabina Park in Kingston on Tuesday. The final of the tournament is scheduled on April 28 in Barbados. |
