Commonwealth Games: Team Uganda all set

PIC: Team Uganda in Australia. (All courtesy photos)

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

Live on SS5, SS6, SS8

Opening ceremony: Wednesday

Netball schedule: New Zealand v Uganda

After years of meticulous preparation, the curtain finally rose on the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday, thousands of miles away from Uganda.

A Ugandan contingent of 97 was part of the 70 nations in the grand opening ceremony in Australia's Carrara stadium.

The Southern Australian city of Gold Coast welcomed thousands of fans, athletes and officials for the XXI Commonwealth Games edition.

Uganda is among 18 African countries in the action featuring 18 sports competing for a total of 2,725 medals.

Wednesday was a momentous day for the Gold Coast as the biggest event in its history began and set the tone for 11 amazing days of world-class sporting competition.

There were spectacular, uplifting and surprising moments of theatre, breathtaking visual effects, dancing and music.

 

As a showcase of culture, colour, unity and diversity, the opening ceremony epitomised the spirit of the Gold Coast and Queensland.

Carrara Stadium was the centrestage for glamour, theatre and entertainment as the venue for the grand opening.

The Commonwealth will become one for the Parade of Nations, the Competitors' Oath and the finale to the Queen's Baton Relay.

Uganda has a chance of following its stars such as Joshua Cheptegei and other icons such as Olympic champion Caster Semenya, Blessing Okagbare and the Malawi netball stars as they create nail-biting sporting entertainment.

Nijel Amos (800m Botswana) has the odds stacked in his favour, as world record holder David Rudisha skips these Games.

For Botswana, this could be big, especially as Babaloki Thebe and Isaac Makwala are poised to battle it out for the 400m gold.

Great expectations from Nigeria's Glasgow star, Okagbare, will be steel-eyed as she looks to defend her sprint double, while Kenya pins hope on twin-force Helen Obiri (5000m) and Conseslus Kipruto (3000m).