Kuwait City, Kuwait, May 22, 2022: The tight unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries was hailed by the President of the Kuwait Olympic Committee Sheikh Fahad Al-Nasser at the Opening Ceremony of the Gulf Games on Sunday night, May 22.
The close bonds between the six countries competing in the 3rd edition of the Kuwait 2022 Games was the recurring theme during a brief and colourful opening ceremony held indoors at the Rafael Nadal Academy in the Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah International Tennis Complex.
“The unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the unity of our sports youth is a close bond that keeps us closely together. The GCC countries also are united in language and origin, and this interdependence is strengthened by wise leadership,” noted the Kuwaiti NOC chief.
Sheikh Fahad paid tribute to the patronage of the Kingdom’s rulers, saying: “Since the establishment of the Kuwait Olympic Committee (in 1957) and under the supreme patronage of our leadership, Kuwait has given sports and athletes a high priority out of belief in social and sports responsibility.
“This emphasises our future strategy to work on developing the Olympic Movement under the directives of the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al Jaber Al-Sabah, and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,” the NOC President said.
The Games got underway six days ago and 76 gold medals had already been decided as the Opening Ceremony got underway in a homely atmosphere inside the compact tennis arena.
If there was a gold medal for Opening Ceremonies at multi-sports Games, then Kuwait and the Gulf Games definitely deserve it for the whole exercise lasting just under 40 minutes with athletes not having to spend hours waiting to enter the stadium for the traditional march past.
Instead the athletes representing the six countries – Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and hosts Kuwait – were seated comfortably in the air-conditioned arena and watched acrobats and gymnasts pull off a superb spectacle complete with drones and a light show.
Each country’s landmarks and athletics feats were displayed on three giant screens while six singers, each sang a popular Arabic song of the nation being depicted. And keeping with the theme of equality at these Games – where women athletes have debuted – there were three male and three female artistes.
Dancers moved sweetly to a mix of traditional songs as well as modern dance hits on a giant LED stage. It was short and sweet.
Bigger events like the Olympics can take a cue from it, perhaps.
