Thaindian News

London, July 27 (IANS) The blue ticket counters surrounding Olympic Park opened at 8 a.m. local time. There were long serpentine queues with many having came before the break of the dawn. An Indian family with their infant in a pram waited for their turn at the counter. “We are keeping our eyes on 9 o’clock opening of the event,” said Rajesh Singh wearing an orange red shirt.

A few visitors, who had turned up late, rushed to London Olympics’ volunteers to know if they had a chance to obtain tickets.

The barricaded queues were at some 40 metres distance from the entrance to the main Olympic Park. Under the grey sky, the Olympic Park appeared like a painted canvass.

Abdul Qayyum, a Hyderabad-born Indian IT professional, despaired over his delay in reaching the ticket counter. He looked fatigued from the long Ramadan fasting and little sleep.

“No matter how tired you are you still need to be at the venue,” said Qayyum, who was on a leave from his workplace at Swindon.

“This Olympics has had its Indian moment as we witnessed Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan carrying the torch in Southwark,” said Dhanjay Mishra from North Wembley who was among the teeming crowds.

“I still could not believe the undiminished energy of Bachchan carrying the flame over little less than half a kilometre without sweating,” Mishra said, adding: “This is what superheroes are made of.”

There was hysteric excitement building up to the opening day. As the excitement reaches its crescendo, Britain is ready to savour its big moment that is upon it. It took seven years in preparation after Jacques Rogge of the IOC opened the envelope containing the word “London”.

It is a moment of profound satisfaction to say: “When the time came we did it right.”

(Sarat C. Das can be contacted at sarat.das@gmail.com)