KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25: Colourful balloons went up, the band played, officials of teams marched past and locals performed cultural dances at the opening of the 10th World Cup but it turned out to be a ceremony no one came to watch.

Scheduled for mid-afternoon with the heat and humidity at its peak, the National Stadium that can seat approximately 15,000 spectators surprisingly remained empty despite Sunday being a weekly holiday in Malaysia.

The march past saw not the players but just the officials, perhaps for the reason that six of the day’s eight matches were to be played following the opening.

The tournament flag was brought in with full honours and hoisted in front of Sultan Azlan Shah, president of the Malaysian and Asian Hockey Federations and chief of the International Hockey Federation, Els van Breda Vriesman.

P. Alagendra, deputy chairman of the organizing committee welcomed the teams, officials and the media and wished them well. “I hope you’ll take back happy memories of Malaysia.

Els also spoke briefly on the occasion and said that hockey had come a long way since Malaysia last hosted the World Cup in 1975.

Sultan Azlan then declared open the tournament that has brought together 16 teams for the first time ever.

The cultural dances to the beat of the drums were the best part of the show in a ceremony that could have been enlivened by a full house.