Momanyi leads team to a pompous Olympic Games opening ceremony

Published on 09/08/2008

Omulo Okoth in Beijing

Deputy captain, Grace Kwamboka Momanyi, majestically strode into the Bird’s Nest, leading Kenya inside the 91,000-seater National Stadium.

Kenya was the 117th nation to salute the fully-packed edifice as the 29th Olympic Games pompously opened last evening.

After a colourful and splendid opening ceremony that left spectators lost for words, Greece started the athletes’ match-past, followed by Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

But when Kenya’s turn reached, a rapturous ovation greeted the team that was resplendent in red-ochre flowing dresses for the women and red free-size tops and black trousers for the men.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was among the dignitaries who included several heads of state and government and monarchs. Musyoka waved confidently from the VIP dais.

The Chinese put up a show never seen in the sporting history and lived up to expectations of the nation that specialises in such ceremonies. Indeed, all opening and closing ceremonies of major sports, including Kenya’s own fourth All Africa Games in 1987, have been choreographed and perfected by the Chinese.

Era of the monks

The show depicted Chinese fine art and evolution of their culture from the era of the monks through the Kung Fu of Shaolin to modern era China, the world leader in energy, architecture and other sectors of life. Momanyi was elated to speechlessness. "It was so exciting to be the flag bearer, the first time I was exercising my responsibility as deputy captain, which though was more of an ceremonial one," she told FeverPitch.

Other notable flag bearers were NBA star, Yao Ming for the Chinese and South Africa’s marathon swimmer, Natalie du Toit for the Rainbow Nation. United States chose 1,500m runner Lopez Lomong for the prestigious role.

Sports Minister Hellen Sambili, who attended yesterday’s opening ceremony was impressed with the organisation. "This was a powerful display by the Chinese for a peaceful co-existence of the youths of the world.

She lauded the private sector for argumenting the Government award scheme to expectional performers at these Games.

Meanwhile, resurgent China opened the Olympics yesterday with a burst of fireworks at a spectacular ceremony that wove ancient Chinese history with modern wizardry and aimed to draw a line under months of political controversy, says Reuters.

World leaders

Drums thundered, strobe lights flickered and 14,000 performers poured through the stadium in a dazzling extravaganza that offered up a vision of global harmony in line with the Games’ motto "One World One Dream".

Around 80 world leaders watched the show, which celebrated imperial China, and skipped the fraught 20th century, when civil war, the Japanese invasion and hardline Communist rule left the nation mired in poverty.

---