‘Red-faced’ Kiwi contingent’s ‘follow-the-leader’ gaffe at Delhi CWG opening ceremony

NEW DELHI - The New Zealand team made a blunder by bungling its opening lines as the Kiwis flocked behind the South African flag bearer, Irene van Dyk, during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on Sunday.

According to Stuff.co.nz, the South African ex-pat was heading for the wrong seats after instructions were lost in translation and her teammates followed along.

There was absolute confusion for a minute before they were led to their white plastic seats by the officials, who ran to round up the wandering flock.

It was a comical and not a symbolic start for the Kiwis. It was slightly ironic that New Zealand made a faux pas on a night when India put its seemingly endless string of pre-Games bungles aside, the paper said.

Talking about the controversies that hit the international media related to the Games, Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of the organising committee, appeared confident and said that India was ready to host the grand event.

“There have been mistakes and many challenges, but we have been able to rise above them all the way the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, made us feel, yes we can!”

“The eyes of the world’s cameras are upon us. India is ready,” Kalmadi added. (ANI)