Busan: A colourful and vibrant opening ceremony showcasing the rich cultural heritage of South Korea marked the inauguration of the 14th Asian Games at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Sunday.

South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung declared the Games open amidst thunderous cheers from the capacity crowd signalling the launch of the biggest-ever Asian Games, which would also be remembered for the first time participation of North Korea in any sporting event in this country.

The evening sky lit up with dazzling fireworks as the president declared the Games open to herald the millenium's first Asian Games in the presence of a host of dignitaries who have descended on this picturesque port city to witness the spectacle.

The competitive action will unfold on Monday, as over 6700 athletes from all the 44 countries affiliated to the Olympic Council of Asia will battle for glory and honour in the next two weeks with powerhouses China and Japan expected to retain their supremacy.

The 16-day sporting extravaganza being held under the slogan of "New Vision, New Asia" will see competitions in 38 disciplines with the new additions of modern pentathlon and body building as the Games return to South Korea after a gap of 16 years. Seoul had hosted the Games in 1986.

After the brief speeches and the formalities, the participating teams walked into the stadium amidst loud cheers from the spectators many of whom had thronged the stadium well ahead of the scheduled start.

The largest ever Indian contingent, hoping to make a significant impact at the Asian level after their commendable show in the Manchester Commonwealth Games, got a rousing ovation as they walked into the stadium attired in their traditional blue blazers and saffron turbans.

Mercurial hockey star Dhanraj Pillay led the contingent holding the Indian tri- colour as the athletes acknowledged the cheers of the crowd and soaked in the electrifying atmosphere at the brand new stadium built for the 2002 football World Cup.

Apart from the fireworks and absorbing cultural programmes, the heart-touching entry of the two Koreas under one flag at the end of the march past was one of the highlights of the two-and-a-half hour opening ceremony depicting the theme "a beautiful meeting".

This is the first time North Korea is participating in any international sporting event held in South Korea since the country was divided in 1948. The two Koreas entered the stadium hand in hand just like in the 2000 Sydney Olympics holding the "Hanbando" flag which shows the map of the Korean peninsula.

Apart from all the action in various sporting arenas, which could see the emergence of new heroes, the Games will be remembered as a historic event that contributed significantly to the unification of Korea and the peace of Asia.

The ceremony began with a group of musicians playing the traditional Korean wind instrument 'nabal' as dancers joined in to form the emblem of the 14th Asian Games which has an estimated viewership of nearly three billion in Asia alone.

After all the dignitaries had taken their seats, the teams made their way into the stadium according to the Korean alphabetical order with Nepal coming in first and the host country taking the rear as per the Games convention.

The South Korean President then declared the Games open saying, "While wishing for the enhancement of harmony and peace in Asia, I declare the 14th Asian Games being held at the beautiful maritime city of Busan open."

Led by the classical Korean drum and fife band, eight flag bearers then entered the ground with the OCA flag. All eight were former athletes who had won a medal either in the Olympics or Asian Games.

Two Korean athletes - Mun Dae-Sung (taekwondo) and Ryu Ji -Hye (table tennis) then took the oath on behalf of all the participating athletes before the Asian Games flame was ceremonially brought inside the stadium.

After the athletes departed, the show titled "a beautiful meeting" depicting a meeting which took place two thousand years ago between King Suro, the founder of the Gaya Kingdom, and princess Huh kept the spectators enthralled.

PTI