22nd Commonwealth Games begin today

The 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games will begin at Birmingham on Thursday where 72 members of the Commonwealth Games Association will vie for 280 Gold Medals across two weeks.

Bangladesh are take part in the seven disciplines of the Commonwealth games- Athletics, Boxing, Gymnastics, Swimming, Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Table Tennis.

A spectacular opening ceremony is expected to be staged at the Alexander Stadium where the athletes will take part in the Parade of the Nations. Weightlifter Mabia Akhter will carry the national flag of Bangladesh in the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony is expected to have a spectacular show at the 30,000-capacity Alexander Stadium, featuring a cast of 2,500 who will perform a musical narrative, showcasing Birmingham’s cultural achievements and industrial heritage. The event will be attended by the Prince of Wales representing the Queen.

Theatre director Iqbal Khan, the 2022 ceremony’s artistic director, said he had been “100 percent aware of the Commonwealth’s problematic history” when putting together the show, which tells an “immersive” story of the West Midlands through the eyes of 72 young athletes.

He added that he would approach issues of colonialism and slavery by “not ignoring it and by dramatizing something of friction and a history of trauma.

“But also it’s a history of resilience and an embrace of a new way that those people informed. So I think ultimately it’s a challenging story to tell, but it’s a really positive story to tell.”

Award-winning TV series "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight, the man with the responsibility of Birmingham’s first-night show, claims he loves a challenge,

"It is going to be mind-blowing, Birmingham is a city that doesn’t like to shout too much, we don’t get too big for our boots. It’s funny but it doesn’t really help to sell our city,” added Knight.

“The idea that you are putting together a show that will be live, in front of a billion and a half people, is terrifying but also a great challenge", he told the media.

After the opening day, Bangladesh will participate in all its seven events on the first day of action.