Sources have stated that the 31st Olympics, the first in South America and only the third to be held in the southern hemisphere, formally opened on Friday with a colorful ceremony depicting Brazil’s vibrantly diverse culture and dedicated to its history and the Earth’s environment, at the Macarana stadium here.


It is stated that the ceremony, which has famed Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles, known for crime drama “City of God”, Andrucha Washington and Daniela Thomas as creative directors, started with thousands of performers entering the arena with sheets of metallic paper, quickly transformed into a sort of “pillow” and struck hard to create a beat that resounded through the stadium.


Meanwhile the hour long cultural fiesta, capped by a spectacular display of fireworks, led to the Parade of the Nations, or the march past of the participating contingents, comprising 207 including Kosovo and South Sudan who are making their debut. Also participating for the first time is the 10-member Refugee Olympic Team comprising refugees from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo.


For the first time, the athletes were handed tree seeds, which are intended to be sown in the Athletes’ Forest in the area of Deodoro, planned as Rio 2016′s enduring legacy and the Indian contingent was led by Olympian medal winning shooter Abhinav Bindra.



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