COLOMBO, Aug 18: With the participation of over three thousand athletes the 10th South Asian Games began on Friday evening with colour, pomp and pageantry despite the gloomy weather conditions and a tense security situation.

President Mahinda Rajapakse, despite serious security concerns attended the games venue and declared open the event which commenced with several Sri Lankan traditional cultural performances.

A special fireworks display and a parachute performance by the Sri Lankan Air Force were some of the special highlights of the opening ceremony.

Two veteran Sri Lankan athletes Nagalingam Ehitrweerasingham and Sriyani Kulawansa lit the Games lamp with the Games torch which went around the country on a 2000 kilometre journey during the past few weeks and reached the games venue Sugathadasa Stadium on Friday.

Colombo was suffused by Colourful paper lanterns, festoons and banners marking a contrast with the heavy presence of military personnel and many check posts following several terrorist bomb blasts in the city.

The ten-day regional sporting event hosted by Sri Lanka at a cost of over one billion rupees will feature 20 sporting disciplines competed by athletes from all eight South Asian countries.

Sri Lanka is fielding a contingent of 462 and India a contingent of 418.

Pakistan would field 375, Nepal 277, Bangladesh 240, Maldives 98 and Bhutan 71. Afghanistan is featuring a contingent of 123.

Archery, athletics , kabaddi, badminton, boxing, cycling, football, hockey, judo, karate, rowing, shooting, squash, swimming , table tennis, Taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and Wushu are the sporting disciplines that would be featured.