ISLAMABAD, March 30: A day after the spectacular opening ceremony of the 9th SAF Games, players, officials and spectators heaped praise on the organizers for making intelligent use of modern technology.
"I have never seen a ceremony as impressive as this, it was simply stunning," said Farid Khan, a spectator who was at the Liaquat Gymnaisum on Tuesday to watch Pakistan volleyball team play Nepal.
"I felt so proud of my country, the whole thing was so well executed with technology being used to good effect," he said. The ceremony featured a fine mixture of laser lights, a perfect sound system, songs, anthems and a whole lot more as Islamabad began a party for which it had to wait three years. For Atif Khawaja, a 50m backstroke Pakistani swimmer, it was an experience of lifetime.
"I have never seen anything like this before, it was simply breath-taking and I specially liked the precision with which everything was conducted." Syed Habib Shah, of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) was impressed too but pointed out that the Pakistan contingent's march-in could have been more orderly. The home side has fielded a contingent of 385 athletes and officials.
Syed Pervaiz Qaiser, a veteran Indian journalist covering the Games said he knew the show was going to be good but he had not expected it to be such a thrilling event. "This was a ceremony to remember."
The cost incurred on staging the ceremonies including the closing on April 7, is said to be half a million dollars with the fireworks alone costing $350,000. "I am delighted the way my team conducted the entire show for which all of us had put in months of hard work," Lt. Gen Syed Arif Hasan, chairman of the SAF Games Organising Committee told Dawn.
