Peace through sport was celebrated with yellow-green at the Opening Ceremony of the
5th Military World Games. Aerial maneuvers, animated graphics, fireworks, music and
dance, all captivated the public which had gathered in the stands of the Joao Havelange
Stadium, (Engenhão), on Saturday, July 16.
Peace through sport was celebrated with yellow-green at the Opening Ceremony
of the 5th Military World Games. Aerial maneuvers, animated graphics, fireworks,
music and dance, all captivated the public which had gathered in the stands of the
Joao Havelange Stadium, (Engenhão), on Saturday, July 16.
With
attractions both on land and in the air in, the crowd was kept entertained throughout
the afternoon of the ceremonies and well into the evening. The festivities, which began
with DJs and mascots for the Games, warmed up the crowd of 1,645 with the acrobatics of
the Air Demonstration Squadron, and the famous Smoke Squadron.
While marching
bands of the Army, Navy, Air Force, as well as the Military Police and Fire
Department performed on the lawn, authorities were taking their positions on the
grandstand. Shortly before 1800h, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff arrived to
inaugurate the Games.
The inauguration itself was followed by a fireworks show, with flames rising
from the roof of the stadium. Following a message for diversity in the military, the
Brazilian flag was flown by Lt. Sylvia Noble Waiãpi, the first indigenous woman in
the Brazilian Armed Forces to become an officer, and whose history is recounted in
detail in an upcoming issue of Dialogue .
With the delegation of athletes from more than 100 countries waiting to enter
the stadium, the field of Engenhão turned into a big screen. Images representing the
separation of continents and the formation of countries began to excite crowd in
attendance. This elaborate stage show along with the singing of Renata Vieites and
Abel Gomes, proved that the Brazilian creativity has no limits.