The opening ceremony of the 3rd Pearls World Cup Kabaddi 2012 was held in Bathinda yesterday night. 23 teams -- 16 men and seven women -- seen in action. Public enjoyed with Akshay Kumar and Asin a lot.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal while paying tribute to former PM (India) Inder Kumar Gujral, who passed away and the originally scheduled 4 hour long opening extravaganza was curtailed to one hour 45 minutes.
It was also decided to do away with the 15-minute long firework programme. It was also decided not to host the flags of participating countries.
However, popular Bollywood numbers were played during the opening ceremony, and models danced to these songs.
The Multipurpose Sports Stadium that was all decked up to welcome players from 18 countries, gave a befitting event showcasing the rich culture and history of Punjab.