Glasgow: The 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in Glasgow on Wednesday will include a tribute to victims of the Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight disaster, organisers said. Prince Imran from Malaysia, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said all the victims, many of whom were from Malaysia and other Commonwealth countries, would be recognised.
The flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with 298 people on board — mostly Dutch nationals — came down in rebel-held eastern Ukraine on Thursday. Western governments say the evidence points to it having been shot down with a missile by pro-Russian separatists. It comes after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared in March, with 239 people on board.
“I am from Malaysia and it’s another sad occasion for our country, and for the airline,” Imran told a news briefing in Glasgow. “It’s a terrible thing to have two tragedies within months of each other. As I understand it, there will be some recognition.” David Grevemberg, chief executive of Glasgow 2014, added: “We will be paying tribute.” Details, in keeping with the rest of the ceremony, are being kept under wraps.
The Games will officially be opened by Queen Elizabeth II during the ceremony at the Celtic Park stadium, which will be watched by an estimated television audience of one billion viewers. Most of the non-Dutch victims were from Commonwealth countries. Of the 298 people on board, 43 were travelling on Malaysian passports, 27 on Australian, 10 British and one each from Canada and New Zealand.
Malaysian athletes to wear black armbands Malaysian athletes and officials at the Games held a minute’s silence at their flag-raising on Tuesday and plan to wear black armbands at the opening ceremony in memory of the victims of the crash. Team spokesman Mohammad Fahmi Omar said that none of the 180 athletes and 72 officials in Glasgow were directly affected by the tragedy.
Their flag at the athletes’ village was raised only to half-mast. Unlike the Olympics, which does not allow political statements or any exterior messages on team uniforms, CGF president Imran, said the federation had no problem with the armbands at the opening ceremony on Wednesday.
In February, Ukraine’s Olympic Committee said the IOC rejected a request for its athletes at the Sochi Games to wear black armbands honoring those who died in violent protests in Kiev.
