Under-19 World Cup gets underway

The Indian side parade (c)Getty Images

Traditional dances, callisthenics and spectacular fireworks lit up the opening ceremony for the Under-19 World Cup in the Dhaka. A full house of around 30,000 people packed the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Sixteen countries, including the 10 Test-playing nations and six associate members of the International Cricket Council, are participating in the biennial tournament that started in 1988.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia formally opened the tournament, which runs from February 15 to March 5 and will be played at six venues. "Bangladesh is now ready to host World Cup Cricket and we are committed to cricket," she said. "I hope our youth and organisers will strive to turn this pride into success." Ehsan Mani, the ICC's president, and Malcolm Speed, its chief executive, also attended the ceremony.

One of the 5,000 performers (c)Getty Images

Some 5,000 performers of Bangladesh Army, Navy, Rifles, Ansar, Shilpakala Academy and Rifles School took part in the two-hour-long opening pageantry. It also featured a march past by the 16 teams.

The teams now have five days to acclimatise with warm-up matches, before the tournament opens on Sunday with hosts Bangladesh playing New Zealand at the Bangabandhu.

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