Ashgabat Games gets off to a rousing start

Ashgabat, September 18: The fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (Ashgabat 2017) got off to a rousing start with a colourful opening ceremony at the newly built Olympics stadium in Ashgabatin, Turkmenistan.

Over the 12 days of competition at Ashgabat 2017, 4,500 athletes from 65 delegations will compete in 347 medal events across 21 sports.

India is fielding 172 athletes in 13 disciplines.

Ashgabat is the first city in the former Soviet Central Asian region, which has won the right to host the Games.

All the 45 member-countries of the Olympic Council of Asia will attend this event, apart from the first-timers - 17 Oceania National Olympic Committees.

More than 7,500 singers, dancers, musicians and acrobats took centre stage at the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium, showcasing 'The Spirit of Turkmenistan' as a capacity crowd of 45,000 celebrated the Opening Ceremony of the biggest multi-sport event ever held in Central Asia.

Athletes, officials and spectators were invited to a captivating evocation of the soul of a nation from ancient times until the present day through its spirit, symbols, history, music and art.

The grand spectacle, which included 75,000 costume pieces and 700 tonnes of freight, revolved around a huge cylinder in the middle of the stadium.

Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov officially declared the Games open.