PHOTOS: Ghana’s kente steals show at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

Ghana’s rich kente cloth was the talk of town after the opening ceremony of the XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland in Australia yesterday.

Team Ghana was clothed in rich kente apparel which left most spectators admiring the team after the event which drew thousands to the Carrara Stadium.

President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Louise Martin, described the Commonwealth Games as “more relevant than ever before” and urged athletes to grasp opportunities given them.

“Today, there is a renewed focus on what our family of nations stands for and who we are.  The Commonwealth is now more relevant than ever before.

“We have a great opportunity to be the global leader in demonstrating how we can successfully thrive together, as both a deeply diverse yet unified family of 2.4 billion people

It is this unbreakable Commonwealth connection that enables us to have a positive impact on each other and on the world we share.”

As part of a segment looking back on the epic journey of the Queen’s Baton Relay, the Queen’s Baton entered the stadium for its final moments – brought in to the stadium in a combi van by multiple Commonwealth Gold Medalist, swimmer Susie O’Neill before Athlete Sally Pearson AOM presented the baton to HRH Prince of Wales, who read aloud the message from Her Majesty The Queen contained within the baton to officially declare the Games open.

The Ceremony told a universal story – with staging inspired by the landscape, elements and iconography of the region – and opened with Isabella Graham, 11, from Minjerribah on North Stradbroek Island, beginning the countdown.

Gold Coast 2018 Chairman Peter Beattie AC said: “Our promise to all of you is that for the next eleven days we will be focussed on making sure these Games are special – leaving us all with fantastic memories of what happens when welcome together with open hearts and a spirit of friendship.”

The sporting competition for Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games commences today with 19 gold medals across 13 sports to be contested in 14 venues. Over one million tickets have been sold for the sporting spectacle – the largest sporting event to be held in Australia since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.