SA on Glasgow stage

South Africa's flag bearer Cecil Sebastian Afrika leads the team into the arena during the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday.

South Africa's flag bearer Cecil Sebastian Afrika leads the team into the arena during the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Wednesday.

Published Jul 24, 2014

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Kevin McCallum in Glasgow

Amid the singing and dancing at the opening ceremony of the 20th Commonwealth Games last night, a minute of silence was observed for the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 that was shot down over Ukraine last week.

Tribute was paid to Malaysia – a Commonwealth nation – and the Netherlands, which lost so many of its citizens in the tragedy.

Last night, at the Celtic Park football ground, there was a spirit of togetherness.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth declared the 20th running of the Games open at 12.30am today, and the night sky thundered with a fireworks display.

It brought to an end a ceremony that had seen performances by Rod Stewart and Britain’s Got Talent2009 winner, Susan Boyle.

The opening ceremony took the Commonwealth on a journey from John O’Groats (the northernmost tip of the island of Britain) to St Andrews (the home of golf) and to the first cloned sheep, Dolly, to the alchemy of whisky and the odd engineering magic.

Glasgow, Scotland, has had much to offer, and at a time when they are a confused and maligned people, they sought to make the point they are no mere province of the people of the south.

There were echoes of South Africa 2010, when the people of the south were told their World Cup would struggle.

Glasgow has been entrusted with reviving the reputation of the Games after the disappointment of Delhi in 2010.

These Games will return the dignity that South Africa will be hoping they can continue, should they win the right to host the Games in 2022.

Gold Coast City, Australia, will be the venue in 2018.

Edmonton in Canada is up against Durban for 2022, and it will be a tight fight.

South Africa is pushing the angle that the continent has not yet had the chance to host the Games.

Our time is now, said Fikile Mbalula, Sports Minister, and Gideon Sam, the president of Sascoc, who invoked the memory of Nelson Mandela.

The icon still has much pull, although in Glasgow, the first city to grant him its freedom back in 1981 when it was not fashionable, it is understood that Scotland favours the Canadians.

The fight still has some distance to run, with the vote to see who would host 2022 being held only in September next year. There will be much politicking between now and then.

Today, South Africa will be starting its fight to win medals, with Richard Murray, the Cape Town triathlete, the first potential podium man.

He has a hard task on his hands.

The Commonwealth Games is a much different beast from the Olympics.

There are 11 days of competition.

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