Asian Games Opening Ceremony

A presidential dig at their traffic woes, a colourful display of their cultural heritage and a message for world peace -- Indonesia mixed it up all for a vibrant and slick opening ceremony for the 18th Asian Games here on Saturday. 

President Joko Widodo was shown taking a motorcycle to the stadium after his convoy was stuck in one of Jakarta's infamous traffic jams. 


A helmet-clad biker, presented to be the President, eventually appeared at the stadium before Widodo revealed himself at the dignitaries stands amid loud cheers from the crowd. 

Raising the emotional quotient was the unified Korean delegation, repeating the touching images from the Winter Olympics, to once again deliver the message of world peace amid the recent diplomatic breakthroughs. 

"We are all here to celebrate diversity, we are all here to celebrate differences, we are all here to celebrate humanity," Organising Committee President Erick Thohir said in his speech. 

Widodo then declared the Games Open. 

In Palembang, which will host shooting and tennis disciplines among others, the athletes watched the opening ceremony on a giant screen, installed at the main football arena. 

A team of visual artists from Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, transformed the stadium's front area into a huge stage, designed to look like a lush mountain surrounded by the country's unique plants and flowers. 

The ceremony opened with the traditional 'Saman' dance, which has been listed by UNESCO in its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The dance has its origins in the Gayo ethnic community of the Aceh province. 

Performed by over 2200 school children, it welcomed the athletes from the region for a sporting extravaganza which is considered second to only Olympics in participation even though the countries involved stand at 45. 

Over 11,000 athletes will be involved in the two-week long show. 

The musical extravaganza's highlight was Indonesian singer Anggun Cipta Sasmi, whose popularity graph has been on the rise in the country. 

Along with Anggun, renowned local musicians Raisa, Tulus, Edo Kondologit, Putri Ayu, Fatin, GAC, Kamasean and Via Vallen also enthralled the jam-packed stadium with their performances on a spectacular stage. 

Former shuttler Susi Susanti, who won the women's singles gold for Indonesia at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, lit the cauldron which marked the opening of the Games amid the trademark fireworks. 

Red was the dominant colour of the ceremony where Indonesia showcased its origins in a spectacular song and dance show which never lacked in energy.