2006 Asian Games opening ceremony

Event held at Khalifa International Stadium, Qatar 2006 Asian Gamesopening ceremony Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games01.jpg 2006 Asian Games Performers at the opening ceremony 2006 12 1 yes 20:00 – 22:05 AST (UTC+3) Khalifa International Stadium Al-Rayyan, Qatar The 2006 Asian Games opening ceremony was held on 1 December at the multi-purpose Khalifa International Stadium.https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/200702/doha.s.grand.games.htm Doha's Grand Games Char Simons Saudi Aramco World April 2007 The opening ceremony was described by the media to be one of the most breathtaking and technologically spectacular multi-sport event ceremonies in the history of the Asian Games (and also one of the most expensive) at that time.http://en.people.cn/200612/02/eng20061202_327536.html Media fascinated by high-tech at Doha Asiad opening ceremony English.people.com.cn 2006-12-02 2011-05-02 It was created and produced by David Atkins (who had previously helmed the 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Sydney, Australia)PIGI projection makes dazzling opening ceremony in Doha Asian Games http://www.newsgd.com/specials/dohaasiangames/dohanews/200612020022.htm 2010-07-08 NEWSGD.com 2006-12-12 and was filmed and broadcast live by International Games Broadcast Services' (IGBS) precursor Doha Asian Games Broadcast Services (DAGBS).http://www.igbs.tv/missions/15th-asian-games-doha-2006/ 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 2019-02-19 2019-02-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20190219130342/http://www.igbs.tv/missions/15th-asian-games-doha-2006/ deadhttp://dagbs.tv/ https://web.archive.org/web/20070105144917/http://dagbs.tv/ dead 2007-01-05 DOHA Asian Games Broadcast Services 2007-01-05 2020-04-21 10 composers from Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, Singapore, Japan, India, South Korea, Germany and Australia composed the score for the ceremonies. Proceedings Pre-ceremonial events Prior to the opening ceremony, Qatari youngsters spent 10 minutes creating a traditional Qatari Al Sadu carpet on the stadium floor. This was followed by youngsters from Aspire Academy, who raced around the stadium chasing Orry, the Games’ mascot to represent Qatar’s bid to make the country the sports capital of the Middle East. Preface The ceremony started with the arrival of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, OCA chairman Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad and their wives into the stadium. Countdown After that, a 10-second countdown projection on the stadium floor began to signal the start of the opening ceremony. A group of 2,300 young people then used flares to form the national flag followed by a message consisting of the Arabic and English greetings "As-salamu alaykum" (ar ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ, "peace be upon you"). Main event A group of children, led by Nasser Khaled Al Kubaisi, then sang Qatar's national anthem to accompany the raising of the national flag by Qatari Armed Forces personnel. A cultural performance that told the story of the "Seeker" and his journey to Asia was presented, which began with footage that displayed an astronomical zoom from an atom to the universe, the Milky Way, the Solar System and Earth, before stopping at the games' host nation, Qatar. The main protagonist was played by local actor Adel Al Ansari.https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/blog/people-in-film-adel-al-ansari People in Film: Adel Al Ansari Doha film institute The artistic segment revolved around a man known as the "Seeker" who was born and lived in the nation of Qatar, where the people of the desert and the people of the sea lived harmoniously together. The people of the desert are experts in poetry while the people of the sea are experts in fishing for pearls named "tears of the moon". As a boy, he dreamed of following a falcon that leads him up to a tower and finds an astrolabe, an instrument used to make astronomical measurements. When the boy grew up into a young man, he left behind his family and his love before he proceeded to begin his adventure in a pearling boat, searching for pearls with a few pearl divers from his homeland, guided only by the stars and his astrolabe. One day, he encountered a fierce storm at sea that overturned the pearling boats of the pearl divers that followed him, causing most of them to get lost and never return to their families. He later encountered a terrifying and colossal half-human half-amphibian sea jinn named Abu Darya (meaning in Arabic "Lord of the Sea"), who threatened to destroy his ship and devour him.https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-storm-of-abu-darya-battles-the-seeker-during-the-news-photo/72691428 Opening ceremony Abu Darya Fortunately, he was rescued by a giant falcon who defeated the jinn, landing him on safe ground where he continued his path to Asia and discovered its colourful history and cultures.http://www.n3ce.org/n3ce-english/viewlastnews.php?id=12 https://web.archive.org/web/20160805161956/http://n3ce.org/n3ce-english/viewlastnews.php?id=12 usurped August 5, 2016 The 15th Asian games opening ceremony kicks off Government Committee for coordinating conferences and events The Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, the Temple of Heaven and Borobudur were among the important landmarks he passed. The Seeker was also treated to a multicultural presentation that displayed the cultures of different Asian countries such as China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Thailand. Many people in the continent came to greet him, sending him gifts such as gold, silk, spices and incense. Meanwhile, back at the Seeker’s homeland, his love was in despair, waiting for his arrival. With his Asian brothers helping him in his way back to his homeland, the Seeker safely made it back to his love, and invited all of Asia to celebrate their wedding as guests. To honour his guests, the Seeker presented them a troupe of horsemen that put on a special performance. Years later, the Seeker had a son. He showed him the Arab world's contributions to modern science in the past, the present and the future, Qatar's natural resources and the country’s vision for the future. thumb|right|Delegates from Host Qatar enters the stadium. Delegates from the 45 countries and regions of Asia entered the stadium after Hong Kong artist Jacky Cheung sang "Together Now". As host nation, Qatar enters the stadium last. For the fifth time after the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2002 Asian Games, 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2006 Winter Olympics, North Korea and South Korea jointly entered the stadium under Korean Unification Flag. Once all the delegates gathered inside the stadium, India's Bollywood star Sunidhi Chauhan sang "Reach Out" written by award winning songwriters Paul Begaud and Vanessa Corish.http://www.arabnews.com/node/291291 DAGOC Announces Stars for Doha 2006 Opening Ceremony 18 November 2006 Hundreds of performers brought out dove sculptures and formed the word "peace." Then, the games' organising committee chairman Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Olympic Council of Asia chairman Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah gave their respective speeches and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani declared the games open. Qatar’s armed forces personnel later raised the flag of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the games' governing body which was brought in by representatives of Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), a Qatari charity organisation. The flag bore the old logo of the Olympic Council of Asia, which was replaced by a new and current version the following day at the Flag Square of the Asian Games Athletes village.http://www.ocasia.org/new141.asp https://web.archive.org/web/20071006172822/http://www.ocasia.org/new141.asp 2007-10-06 OCA Brand Image Logo Launch 02-12-2006 2 December 2006 ocasia.org Mubarak Eid Belal (a Qatari volleyball player) took the athletes' oath, while Abdullah Al Balushi (a Qatari football referee) took the judges' oath. thumb|right|Majida El Roumi performing "Light The Way" with José Carreras during the opening ceremony thumb|Fireworks display at the opening ceremony outside the stadium Before the torch relay section, Lebanon's Majida El Roumi and Spanish tenor José Carreras performed "Light the Way". The torch was relayed into the stadium by bowler Salem Bu Sharbak, volleyball player Mubarak Mustafa, shooter Nasser Al-Atiyya, Mohamed Suleiman, footballer Mansoor Muftah Sheikh and Talal Mansour. Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani, son of the emir and captain of the Qatar equestrian endurance team, rode his horse up the stairs to the top of the stadium to light up the giant cauldron that took the form of a giant astrolabe. The flame was transferred electronically to the Aspire Tower just outside the stadium, and fireworks soon went off, signalling the start of the 2006 Asian Games. The horse nearly slipped in the process and a clip of this incident made it onto the official broadcast.http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=120740&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16 Daredevil horse stunt clip goes international 2006-12-08 https://web.archive.org/web/20061205210853/http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=120740&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16 2006-12-05 deadhttps://www.thestar.com.my/sport/other-sport/2006/11/20/sunidhi-jacky-and-carreras-to-sing-at-opening-ceremony/ Sunidhi, Jacky and Carreras to sing at opening ceremony The Star 20 November 2006http://www.arabnews.com/node/291291 DAGOC Announces Stars for Doha 2006 Opening Ceremony Arab news 18 November 2006 Parade of Nations right|thumb|Athletes of the 2006 Asian Games. All 45 contingents participated in the parade in English alphabetical order, from Afghanistan to Yemen, with host Qatar marching last. The traditional music of several Asian regions accompanied the athletes as they marched into the stadium, performed by international dancers on parade floats.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NwAPohqjLI https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/_NwAPohqjLI 2021-12-13 live Asian Games Opening Ceremony 2006 Whilst most countries entered under their short names, a few entered under alternative names, sometimes due to political disputes. Taiwan (Republic of China) entered with the compromised name and flag of "Chinese Taipei" under T so that they did not enter together with conflicting "China", which entered under C. North Korea and South Korea marched together under the Korean Unification Flag, but competed separately. While the placards were displayed only in English, the participating countries were announced in English and Arabic. OrderNationPlacard NameArabic nameRomanizedFlag bearerSport 1 20px Afghanistan (AFG) Afghanistan أفغانستان‘Afghanistan 2 BRN 2006 Asian Games Kingdom of Bahrain مملكة البحرينMamlakat Albahrayn Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Equestrian 3 BAN 2006 Asian Games Bangladesh بنغلاديشBanghladish Shajahan Ali Shajahan Md 4 BHU 2006 Asian Games Bhutan بوتانButan 5 BRU 2006 Asian Games Brunei Darussalam بروناي دار السلامBrunay Dar Alsalam HJ Mustafa Md Shawal 6 CAM 2006 Asian Games Cambodia كمبودياKambudya 7 CHN 2006 Asian Games People's Republic of China جمهورية الصين الشعبيةJumhuriat Alsiyn Alshaebia Bao ChunlaiChina's flag bearer? Yao is a big favorite Badminton 8 HKG 2006 Asian Games Hong Kong, China هونغ كونغ، الصينHungh Kunghi, Alsiyn 9 IND 2006 Asian Games India الهندAlhind Jyoti Sunita Kulluhttps://www.telegraphindia.com/sports/kullu-overwhelmed-at-being-flag-bearer-this-is-compensation-for-arjuna-which-i-was-denied/cid/1547458 Kullu overwhelmed at being flag-bearer - 'This is compensation for Arjuna which I was denied'https://www.rediff.com/sports/2006/dec/02dohalead01.htm Qatar delivers dazzling Asiad opening Rediff 2 December 2006 Hockey 10 INA 2006 Asian Games Indonesia أندونيسيا‘Andunysya Andy Ardiyansah Beach volleyball 11 IRI 2006 Asian Games Islamic Republic of Iran الجمهورية الإسلامية الإيرانيةAljumhuriat Al’Iislamiat Al’Iirania Hossein Rezazadehhttps://web.archive.org/web/20070106063306/http://www.doha-2006.com/gis/menuroot/news/article.aspx?id=1682 http://www.doha-2006.com/gis/menuroot/news/article.aspx?id=1682 A magnificent spectacle DAGOC 1 December 2006 usurped 6 January 2007 Weightlifting 12 IRQ 2006 Asian Games Iraq العراقAleiraq Ali Salman Wrestling 13 JPN 2006 Asian Games Japan اليابانAlyaban Saori Yoshidahttps://www.gettyimages.com/photos/15th-asian-games-doha-2006-opening-ceremony-december-1-2006?sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=15th%20asian%20games%20doha%202006%20opening%20ceremony%20december%201%202006 Getty Images Doha Asian Games Opening ceremony Wrestling 14 JOR 2006 Asian Games Jordan الأردنAl’Urdunu Nadin Dawani Taekwondo 15 KAZ 2006 Asian Games Kazakhstan كازاخستانKazakhstan Bakhtiyar Artayev Boxing 16 COR unification North Korea (PRK) Korea كورياKuria Ri Kum-suk Football 17 COR unification South Korea (KOR) Lee Kyu-sup Basketball 18 KUW 2006 Asian Games Kuwait الكويتAlkuayt 19 KGZ 2006 Asian Games Kyrgyzstan قيرغيزستانQirghizstan 20 LAO 2006 Asian Games Lao People's Democratic Republic جمهورية لاو الديمقراطية الشعبيةJumhuriat Law Aldiymuqratiat Alshaebia 21 LIB 2006 Asian Games Lebanon لبنانLubnan Alain Saade Volleyball 22 MAC 2006 Asian Games Macau, China ماكاو، الصينMakaw, Alsiyn Han JingHan Jing Wushu 23 MAS 2006 Asian Games Malaysia ماليزياMalizia Josiah NgJosiah Ng Cycling 24 MDV 2006 Asian Games Maldives المالديفAlmaldif 25 MGL 2006 Asian Games Mongolia منغولياManghulia Khashbaataryn Tsagaanbaatar Judo 26 MYA 2006 Asian Games Myanmar ميانمارMianmar 27 NEP 2006 Asian Games Nepal نيبالNybal 28 OMA 2006 Asian Games Sultanate of Oman سلطنة عمانSaltanat Euman 29 PAK 2006 Asian Games Pakistan باكستانBakistan Shujauddin MalikShujauddin Malik Weightlifting 30 PLE 2006 Asian Games Palestine فلسطينFilastin Abu Hawelah RamiOpening ceremony Abu Hawelah Taekwondo 31 PHI 2006 Asian Games Philippines فيلبينيFilbini Paeng Nepomucenohttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2006-10/18/content_711116.htm Philippines chooses official flag-bearer in Asian Games Bowling 32 KSA 2006 Asian Games Kingdom of Saudi Arabia المملكة العربية السعوديةAlmamlakat Alearabiat Alsueudia Alharkan Fahad AbdullahOpening cereemony Alharkan Fahad Abdullah 33 SIN 2006 Asian Games Singapore سنغافورةSinghafura Roy Tay JunhaoSailor TAY Chosen as Singapore Flag Bearer Sailing 34 SRI 2006 Asian Games Sri Lanka سريلانكاSirilanka Manjula KumaraOpening ceremony Manjula Kumara Athletics 35 SYR 2006 Asian Games Syrian Arab Republic الجمهورية العربية السوريةAljumhuriat Alearabiat Alsuwria Ahed JoughiliOpening ceremony Ahed Joughili Weightlifting 36 TPE 2006 Asian Games Chinese Taipei تايبيه الصينيةTaybyh Alsiynia 37 TJK 2006 Asian Games Tajikistan طاجيكستانTajikistan Sherali DostievOpening ceremony Sherali Dostiyev Boxing 38 THA 2006 Asian Games Thailand تايلاندTayland Supachai Jitjumroon Volleyball 39 TLS 2006 Asian Games Timor-Leste تيمور الشرقيةTaymur Alsharqia 40 TKM 2006 Asian Games Turkmenistan تركمانستانTurkamanistan 41 UAE 2006 Asian Games United Arab Emirates الإمارات العربية المتحدةAl’Iimarat Alearabiat Almutahida Maitha Al-Maktoum Karate 42 UZB 2006 Asian Games Uzbekistan أوزبكستان‘Uwzbakistan Utkirbek Haydarov Boxing 43 VIE 2006 Asian Games Vietnam فيتنامFiatnam Trong Cuong Nguyen Taekwondo 44 YEM 2006 Asian Games Republic of Yemen الجمهورية اليمنيةAljumhuriat Alyamania Anas Aqlan Taekwondo 45 QAT 2006 Asian Games State of Qatar دولة قطرDawlat Qatar Ahmed Saad Al Saad Handball Notes Three teams entered under their short names in English, but their full names in Arabic: Jordan entered as "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan" (ar المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية Al-Mamlakah al-’Urdunniyyah Al-Hāshimiyyah). Kuwait entered as "State of Kuwait" (ar دولة الكويت Dawlat al-Kuwayt). Palestine entered as "State of Palestine" (ar دولة فلسطين Dawlat Filasṭīn). For unknown reasons, Hong Kong was announced as هُونْغ كُونْغ، الصين Hung Kung, Alsiyn in Arabic, while Macau was announced as "Macau, China" (in English by the Arabic-language announcer). Notable guests Qataris Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar Moza bint Nasser, Consort of Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Heir Apparent of Qatar and games' organising committee chairman Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar Jassem bin Hamad Al Thani, the personal representative of the Emir of Qatar Foreign dignitaries International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia FIFA president Sepp Blatter President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Prime Minister of Palestine Ismail Haniyeh President of Syria Bashar al-Assad References Opening Ceremony, 2006 Asian Games Category:Asian Games opening ceremonies Category:Ceremonies in Qatar