Samay | UP/Uttarakhand | MP/Chattisgarh | Bihar/Jharkhand | Rajasthan | Aalami Samay

Awesome start to Incheon Games

Pics: Watch the spectacular opening ceremony of the 17th Asian Games Incheon

The 17th Asian Games at Incheon , could not have hoped for much better start. The 17th Asian Games opened in a multi-coloured blaze of fireworks and carefully crafted K-Pop routines , as athletes from the world's most populous region came together in pursuit of gold and glory in South Korea. An array of Olympians and regional sports stars will compete over 15 days of competition in Incheon where South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Olympic chief Thomas Bach were among the powerful figures watching a vivid opening ceremony. Athletes dressed in colourful national garb, sharp suits and comfortable tracksuits waved to a crowd of 60,000, who offered enthusiastic welcomes to delegations from 45 countries . The ceremony, dubbed: 'Dream of 4.5 billion people, One Asia,' also featured traditional Korean performances of song, dance and poetry as athletes stood shoulder to shoulder behind the flags of 45 countries at the Incheon Asian Main Stadium. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), told the athletes: "We are delighted to welcome you and are looking forward to seeing you compete and perform based on fair play and respect. "You are the heart and soul of the Games."