With massive celebrations and fireworks, the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham was officially declared open in what turned out to be a dazzling and star-studded ceremony, on Thursday, 28. The history of the city of Birmingham was one of the areas of focus in the show and one could not have asked for a better way to kickstart a competition that is as prestigious and grand in scale as the Commonwealth Games. A total of 6500 athletes from the 71 participating nations walked into the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham with their national flags flying high--a moment that was truly worth witnessing! CWG 2022: PM Narendra Modi Wishes Indian Athletes Good Fortune Ahead of Birmingham Commonwealth Games

Besides these, there were several other things that caught attraction at the show, something that fans are sure to remember for a very long time to come. With the opening ceremony done and dusted, all the focus would now turn to the athletes, who would be in action in the several sport disciplines where they would fight for top honours. Let us take a look at the top five highlights of the Commonwealth Games 2022 Opening Ceremony:

1) The Raging Bull: The raging bull was surely one of the major attractions at the Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony. The 10-meter high structure had reportedly taken up five months to make with over 50 people involved and it entered the arena with a frantic beat. The bull was pulled by female chain-makers and it was a mark of the Industrial Revolution, where women workers were overworked but underpaid. The bull broke away from the shackles and the female group that dragged it to the stadium, then broke their own chains. It was a highly fascinating and symbolic moment of the show.

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2) Malala Yousufzai's Speech: Speaking of a fascinating highlight, Malala Yousufzai's moving and inspiring speech. The activist, who has been a source of inspiration for many women all over the world, paid tribute to the city of Birmingham, where she was flown to when she needed an operation on her skull after being shot by a terrorist while on a bus in Pakistan. Her speech was a touching one as she spoke about her experience in the city of Birmingham.

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3) Flag-Bearers: Flag-bearers are one of the most important elements of an opening ceremony and this time, it was no different. The flag-bearers of the participating nations walked in by holding the national flags that flew high with the team's contingent following them. For India, ace shuttler and men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh were the ones to lead the Indian team out in the Alexander Stadium as they held the Indian tricolor together to inspire the team they led to perform in a manner that left a mark.

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4) Games declared Open: A truly memorable moment arrived when Prince Charles, who stepped in place of the Queen, declared the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 officially open. He wished good luck and success to the participating athletes.

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5) Duran Duran: Music icons Duran Duran stole the show and closed it off with a bang. The famous British band, who started off in Birmingham, made everyone at the Alexander Stadium dance to their music as an atmosphere of enjoyment and festivity broke out in the place.

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All focus and action would now be on the action in the Commonwealth Games where the athletes from the participating nations will try their best to ensure their flag flies high into the sky at the end of the day.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 29, 2022 08:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).