Over 30,000 witness ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony

The Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka today played host to the spectacular Opening Ceremony of the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup Bangladesh 2004.

Over 30,000 fans turned up to watch the sixteen participating teams parade on the outfield in the presence of the Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

The large crowd was treated to a range of local cultural displays performed with a combination of military precision and artistic flair.

A celebrated Bangladeshi pop act performed a song inspired by the tournament and local youngsters re-enacted traditional tribal and folk dances.

ICC President Ehsan Mani addressed the crowd and thanked the people of Bangladesh for supporting the tournament.

"It is with immense pleasure that the ICC brings the tournament to this cricket-loving country for the first time," said Mr Mani.

"The passion for cricket here is a joy to behold and I have no doubt that this nation will host a memorable event."

Teams with group matches outside of the capital will disperse to the regions on Wednesday for a series of practice matches before the first round of official matches on 15 February.

Australia is the reigning ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup champion. It claimed the title for the second time in New Zealand in 2002, beating South Africa by seven wickets in the final.

Jon Long
ICC Event Media Manager
In Bangladesh: 01750 17668
International: +44 (0) 7946 545 090
Email: jon.long@icc-cricket.com