A colourful finale

Dinesh Weerawansa

COLOMBO: The tenth edition of the South Asian Games ended with a spectacular closing ceremony at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday.

Hosts Sri Lanka ended third in the overall medals table with a total of 37 gold medals, 63 silver and 77 bronze medals.

It was an emotional evening for over 2,500 competitors as well as the capacity crowd at the stadium as the curtain came down on the eight-nation Games.

Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara, who was the chief guest at the colourful ceremony, declared the Games closed before the traditional Olympic fame was extinguished.

In an evening filled with excitement and emotion, the most eye-catching item was the final fireworks display. That was a treat to watch as the spectacular fireworks display illuminated the Colombo skies, signalling the closure of the South Asian version of the Olympics.

The mighty Indians underlined their sporting supremacy in the region with a rich haul of 118 gold medals to head the final medal standings, followed by Pakistan (43) and Sri Lanka (37). More than the winning or losing, the 20-discipline Games generated an ideal atmosphere to build peace and unity through sport among youth in South Asia.

They were rivals at competition venue, battling out for medals, but off the field, they were good buddies.

Great relationships were built during the Games and language was not a barrier to get their messages across. The members of the South Asian Olympic family lived in true spirit and harmony during their memorable two-week stay in Sri Lanka and will be flying back with sweet memories of Sri Lankan culture and hospitality.

During the final sessions of the closing ceremony, Sri Lanka Olympic chief Fernando handed over the South Asian Olympic flag to the Olympic and Sports Ministry officials of Bangladesh, which hosts the next edition of the Games in Dhaka, 2008.

Adding colour to an exciting evening's proceedings were several cultural items as well performances by leading Sri Lankan vocalists and dancing troops.