By Dennis Passa on April 5, 2018

Prince Charles delivered a message from Queen Elizabeth II to officially open the Commonwealth Games before fireworks exploded on cue.

The opening ceremony finished on a brighter note than the way it started Wednesday night, when a heavy rain shower drenched fans in the stadium.

The weather cleared quickly enough not to completely overshadow a ceremony choreographed to showcase the traditional culture of Australia’s Indigenous people and the laid-back beach lifestyle of the Gold Coast.

Games organisers have blundered by listing England as part of Africa in the official souvenir program.

The colourful Commonwealth Games 2018 edition lists the English capital as Banjul (instead of London), locates it in the Africa region and notes its population as slightly more than 2 million. That mirrors the details listed — correctly — for Gambia, only recently restored to the Commonwealth Games, directly underneath on Page 97. Gold Coast 2018 chief executive Mark Peters explained the blunder as an “overprint” as organisers rushed to accommodate Gambia’s reinclusion into the Commonwealth just weeks ago. The African nation did not compete at the 2014 Glasgow Games after withdrawing from the Commonwealth in 2013. A change of prime minister in 2016 led to the readmission of Gambia last month, and the country has six athletes competing on the Gold Coast.

Australian boxer Taylah Robertson ensured the first medal of the Commonwealth Games without setting foot in the ring. The 19-year-old Robertson was the beneficiary of a lucky draw in the women’s 51-kilogram division and is guaranteed at least a bronze medal. Only seven boxers entered the competition, so three bouts will be contested as quarter-finals, with Robertson receiving a direct passage to the last four. Both losers of the semifinals win bronze medals. The boxing program starts Thursday.

•Excerpted from an AP report. Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images shows the opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia

Source Daily Sports

Posted April 5, 2018

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