Ever since the world watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing with awe, there is only thought that is worrying London “how will we top this?”
Organisers of 2012 Games worried that Beijing will be a hard act to follow
LONDON: Ever since the world watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing with awe, there is only thought that is worrying London “how will we top this?” As thousands of drummers beat down the seconds to the start of the games with minute precision, millions of Britons sat in front of their TV holding their heads in the hands thinking “why this brilliant new benchmark now? We can never beat this”.
China was able to draw upon thousands of years of history and culture and their mastery over modern technology to stun the world. UK too has a culture filled with ancient traditions, pomp and ceremony but many feel that modern-day officials are unable to ‘organise a drunken brawl in a brewery’. Indian-origin columnist Yasmin Alibhai Brown jokingly suggested UK was very good at ‘making a mess of things and accepting it’.
After the opening ceremony, London Olympics officials who are organising the 2012 games were quick to say they had no intention of trying to match, let alone top Beijing.
“Our own affair will be classily understated by comparison, but impressive all the same,” they said. Many Britons remember vividly the mess that was made with the Millennium Dome. There was money, time and no public opposition and yet on the night the celebrations were dismal and flawed with errors. Commentator Peter McKay said of it
“A night that is painful to recall”. “Forget 14,000 dancers and enough gunpowder to land humankind on Venus. Put the 2012 ceremony in the capable hands of Gerry Cottle’s Circus,” he added.
When the Beijing games end, the countdown for London will begin and yet there is already a cloud on the horizon. A delay in securing a funding package for the £1 bn Olympic Village is being blamed on a downturn in the UK housing market. Not a good omen to say the least!
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}