By V Krishnaswamy, IANS,
Beijing : There was an air of casualness about the Indian contingent as they marched into the packed National Stadium, Bird’s Nest, for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games here Frriday.
Paddler Neha Aggarwal wore a green saree, while tennis star Sania Mirza sported dark trousers with a light top during the march past that saw around 30 of the nation’s 56 athletes taking part.
The men, however, were better clad, turning out in sherwanis.
Shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who gave India its solitary moment of cheer four years back by claiming a silver medal, carried the Indian tricolour into the stadium Bird’s Nest.
That was indeed befitting, for apart from being an acknowledgement of his stupendous feat, Rathore’s sport shooting presents India’s best chance of winning medals this time around.
Most of the Indian competitors also did not march smartly, Rathore, tennis ace Leander Paes and shooter Gagan Narang being the exceptions.
Among the world leaders and high-profile guests watching the breath-taking opening ceremony from the VIP box were India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.