Spectacular Opening Ceremony Opens Games Week

Sun, May 08 2011

Under a blaze of fireworks, home grown superstar Jessica Mauboy brought the curtain down on a spectacular Opening Ceremony to mark the start of the 2011 Arafura Games at Darwin’s TIO Stadium on Saturday night.

In a show before an estimated 6000 people who were kept mesmerised for three hours, iconic Aussie rock band Icehouse also had the crowd rockin’ with some of Australia’s best-known classics such as Crazy and the band’s signature tune Great Southern Land.

Earlier the RAAF Roulettes warmed the crowd up with a stunning aerobatic display. Territory talent also came to the fore with hundreds of young locals sharing the stage with Mauboy and Icehouse in a striking dance display which punctuated the threehour show.

Manuel Dhurrkay and B2M also wooed the audience when they were joined on stage by Mauboy to perform a stirring rendition of the official Arafura Games song, Arafura Anthem, a remake of the aptly titled Saltwater Band track Arafura Sea.

The crowd erupted when the Northern Territory were introduced as the last of the teams during the athletes parade, in which 41 countries were represented, and many of who will take to the field of competition for the first time on Sunday.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson was joined on Stage by her Excellency the Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Northern Territory Sports Minister Karl Hampton to officially declare the 2011 Arafura Games open.

Chief Minister Henderson paid tribute to the more than 1200 volunteers that “make the Games possible” and he wished the more than 2400 athletes well in their endeavours on the sporting field over the coming week.

Competition in the 2011 Arafura Games swing into action early Sunday, with the Triathlon starting at 7am at Parap Pool.