And then the Games began

Suhel Seth gives us a slice of the Olympics 2012 fever straight from London
There is something almost always magical about the Olympics and I am not going to make you tear your hair by going into the historical virtues of the Games, apart from the fact that every athlete, no matter who he or she may be, wishes for an Olympics medal. But in the last few decades, the Games have also become a symbol of glamour and glitz as much as for sports itself.In the good old days, we wouldn’t care about the Olympic flame but then London has made it even more dramatic.
I got into London a week ago and yes, the city had changed, for the better. I was hoping for horrendous traffic and enormous delays, but thankfully nothing of the sort happened. When I made my way to the Olympics Park stadium for the Opening Ceremony, there was none of the bother and believe it or not, no darn VIPs pushing their way through. This is what I guess we in India have to learn. VIPs should either be behind bars (as most of them are nowadays) or be so invisible that they are not a hindrance to the common man.
The stadium security, and what’s more, the manner in which hostesses ushered you to your seats, was heart-warming. I had attended the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony as well, but when you entered that stadium, it was almost as if you were on death row, just waiting to be executed. Which is why, I guess, London is what it is. There has been an enduring air of civility and helpfulness.
There were many Indians at the Opening Ceremony, and I am not being mean about Suresh Kalmadi not being able to make it. Naresh Trehan, Sunil Munjal, Rahul Bajaj and Deepak Parekh are some of the names I know of.
The ceremony, to put it into one word, was spectacular. Danny Boyle outdid himself. There is something to be said when creativity through sheer genius does not need wads of money to look impressive. The theme drawn from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, made it even more quintessentially English. From children flying off beds to sheep pasturing on astro-turf to the eclectic and electric fireworks display to the pithiness and poignancy of the speeches, everything was as only the English can deliver – perfection with compassion. What really warmed the cockles of my heart was the wonderful orchestra cameo by Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean) and the splendid manner in which Daniel Craig first, and David Beckham later, passed on the Olympic spirit in the former and the flame in the latter.
The Indian contingent was impressive and large; the only problem is that our medals tally is almost always inversely proportional to the size of the contingent. But then again, in the Olympic spirit (which we in India take for granted) is all about taking part and not just winning. I did manage to catch Ajay Maken, the Indian Sports Minister lurking around, but then when you can feast on Angelina Jolie, why would you waste time on Maken? There was the usual sprinkling of celebrities and what’s more, these celebrities who were supportive and not merely purposeless.
Who wouldn’t give an arm and leg to listen to Paul Mcartney live and as always, he didn’t disappoint. There was something ethereal to the ceremony – be it the music or for that matter, the tribute to Muhamad Ali. Done with elegance and with a regality that only perhaps the British can pull off.
When the ceremony was over, and it was time to make tracks back to your hotel, you could not help wonder, how sport can and must remain the ultimate unifier even if many parts of that limitless joy are nowadays being sponsored.