London: Britain is greeting the world with an extravagant celebration that includes Bond, the Bard and a Beatle – and a formal welcome from no less a figure than its jubilee queen Elizabeth.
One of Britain’s most successful contemporary movie directors, Oscar winner Danny Boyle, is presiding over a three-hour stadium spectacular highlighting the UK’s history and impact on the world.
Almost 10, 500 athletes, behind the flags of 204 nations, would participate in the parade of nations.
Almost 80,000 people would be present in the ceremony while 10 billion people would watch the historic moment before the television sets.
Greece had the lead, as the spiritual home of the games, and Team Great Britain was last, as host. The tradition of athletes marching into the stadium by nation at the opening ceremony began at London’s first Olympics, in 1908.
The Olympic events would continue till August 12, 2012.
Live Updates:
London 2012 officially gets underway with a whistle-stop montage of everyday life in the British isles, darting from cricket greens to scurrying geese to the London Eye to the thunderous opening bars of the Clash’s London Calling and a sneering snippet of John Lydon singing God Save the Queen. And with that, we have touchdown. We land, slap-bang in the centre of the Olympic stadium as the balloons pop and Bradley Wiggins takes to the stage, resplendent in his yellow jersey.
Five interlocking circles blaze bright orange as the fireworks ignite and the audience in the stands seem to catch their breath as one. I think this means that the London Olympics are now properly under way.
British flag hoisted in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. Queen Elizabeth and head of International Olympics Committee present in the ceremony.
The opening ceremony highlighted the village life of the Britian. It also highlighted the role of Nurses in the country.
A tribute was also paid to the late legend character ‘Mr Bean’ in the ceremony. Rowan Atkinson provides the comedy, dabbing away at the keyboard in practiced Mr Bean mode and then shamelessly tripping his rivals during the classic beach-running montage that follows.
The Olympics pay tribute to the war dead and the victims of the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London. This is a hushed, respectful, gently moving interlude; a pause for breath amid the frantic festivities.
The group of athletes representing their countries starts walking in with their flag-bearers ahead of them.
03:03 Indian team arrives in the stadium with their players wearing pant-courts and yellow turban. Sushil Kumar, the flag bearer of India.
03: 05 Israeli delegation warmly welcomed by the crowd present in the stadium.
03:24Â Pakistani delegation arrives in the Olympic park. Sohail Abbas, the flag bearer of Pakistan. Pakistan dominated in Olympics Hockey events for 20 years. The country has participated in every Olympic event since after its creation and its a big achievement for them and Olympics. The Pakistani delegation was dressed-up in their traditional Shalwar-Kameez.
03:55 Britishers finally came out in the Olympic park. The crowd has gone mad to see their home team in the park. Queen, Princess, princesses, prime minister gave an standing applaud to their team.
President of International Olympic Committee:
Now it is the turn of Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC. He thanks London for hosting the games, and pays tribute to the thousands of volunteers who have made it possible. He adds:
“For the first time in Olympic history all of the teams have female athletes – and this is a major boost for gender equality”
Olympic flame torched
David Beckham rolls in from the Thames. At the dock he passes the torch to Sir Steve Redgrave, who won Gold at five consecutive Olympic Games. Does this handover clear up the last remaining mystery of tonight’s opening ceremony?
Steve Redgrave jogs into the stadium, the torch held aloft. But significantly, the torch is then used to light the flames of a band of younger, as yet un-garlanded athletes – a fitting end for a ceremony that began by celebrating Britain’s past and ends by pointing to its future. The choir is singing; the torches move back and forth.
Note: All timings in the above news are according to Pakistan local time.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription