Prince Charles, representing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, declared official the opening of the XXII Commonwealth Games on the 28 of July 2022 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Maldives along with other 71 Commonwealth nations paraded the stage of what was dubbed a spectacular and captivating showcase of English culture with international appeal. National Table Tennis player Fathimath Jumana Nimal and National Badminton Player Hussein Zayan Shaheed Zaki lead the Maldivian contingent at the athletes’ parade in last night’s opening ceremony.
Dame Louise Martin, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said she believed this year’s event would be “one of the greatest and most important editions of the Commonwealth Games in our 92-year history”. She said: “Our 72 nations and territories are all here, and Birmingham looks magnificent. The city and wider region will provide the perfect stage for our athletes to compete.”
The region's rich musical heritage and inclusivity were at the heart of the XXII Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. The most visually impressive element of the show was the raging bull, Perry Barr, the games mascot which was named after the area in North of Birmingham where the Alexander Stadium, the venue of the opening ceremony, is located.
Birmingham will be the first multi-sport international meet to host more medal events for women than for men, and is running in tandem with its largest ever para sport program. There’ll be 136 gold medals awarded to women, 134 on offer for men, and 10 in mixed events.
Photo credits: AFP/Gettyimages
