Hollow ring to lyrics

Press, 26 July 1986, Page 30

Hollow ring to lyrics

From ROBIN CHARTERIS in Edinburgh

“People everywhere should be joining hands, ail around the world, all across the land .. .** sang the Commonwealth Games choir at the Edinburgh opening ceremony. While they sang lustily and loud the choir’s words had a hollow ring. Instead of the 58 originally entered, Just 27 teams were lined up in Scotland’s Meadowbank Stadium for the opening ceremony of the thirteenth Commonwealth Games.

The ceremony itself as a spectacle may have lacked little from the absence of so many third world Commonwealth teams, but their non-ap-pearance cast a dismal gloom over the otherwise Impressive ceremony. The unexpected apSiearance of 12 athletes rom a reinstated Bermuda team, marching at the tail end before the host nation, was a welcome relief from the flood of withdrawals that has engulfed these games, but there was, nevertheless, a general feeling of despair that the 1986 Games could be the last of their kind.

Edinburgh’s opening ceremony was bright, colourful and spectacular but according to seasoned journalists it lacked the imagination of flair of Los Angeles and the polish of Brisbane.

The worst part, said a seasoned Australian campaigner, was that it was “so sad.” “All those kids, all that work and all that time, just to see so many countries pull out,” he said.

“The Commonwealth Games, as a multi-cul-tural sporting event, have had it Perhaps the Commonwealth has too,” he added gloomily.