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Ghana’s rich kente cloth was the talk of town after the opening ceremony of the XXI   Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast,   Queensland in Australia.

Team Ghana was clothed in rich kente apparel, which left most spectators admiring   the   team after   the event, at the   Carrara Stadium.

Louis Martin, President   of   the   Commonwealth Games Federation   (CGF), described the Commonwealth Games as “more relevant than ever before” and urged athletes to take the opportunities given them”.

“Today, there is a renewed focus on what our family of nations stands for and who we   are.   

“The   Commonwealth is   now   more   relevant   than   ever before. We have a great opportunity to be the global leader in demonstrating how we can successfully   thrive together, a deeply diverse, yet unified family of 2.4 billion people.

“It is this unbreakable Commonwealth connection that enables us to have positive impact on each other and on the world we share.”

“As part of a segment looking back on the epic journey of the Queen’s Baton Relay, the    Queen’s   Baton   entered   the   stadium   for   its   final   moments- brought in to the stadium in a combi van by multiple Commonwealth gold medalist swimmer Susie O’Neill before Athlete Sally Pearson AOM presented the baton to HRH Prince of Wales, who read aloud the message from Her Majesty.

The   Queen   contained   within   the   baton   to   officially   declare the Games open.

The Ceremony   told   a   universal   story   –   with   staging   inspired   by   the landscape,   elements   and   iconography   of   the   region   –   and   opened   with Isabella   Graham,   11,   from   Minjerribah   on   North   Stradbroek   Island, beginning the countdown.

Gold Coast 2018 Chairman Peter Beattie said: “Our promise to all of you is that for the next eleven days we will be focused on making sure these Games are special – leaving us all with fantastic memories of what happens when come together with open hearts and a spirit of friendship.”

The sporting competition for Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games commences today with 19 gold medals across 13 sports to be contested in 14 venues.

Over one million tickets have been sold for the sporting spectacle– the largest sporting event to be held in Australia since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.