Closing ceremony rehearsal makes crowd go berserk

NEW DELHI - With two hours still to go for the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, spectators at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium were already clapping and cheering loud as the final rehearsals of the finale took place Thursday.

At several places in the stadium, the Indian tricolour could be seen - either in the form of a flag or painted on the faces of enthusiastic spectators.

One of the rehearsing groups - that of hundreds of children - received loud cheers as they walked into the centre of the stage, below the massive aerostat. The aerostat, which was one of the big attractions during the opening ceremony, is the biggest helium balloon in the world.

Wearing bright pink, yellow and other multicoloured outfits and performing a formation that involved the use of sunflower like umbrellas, the kids rehearsed for about five minutes before heading back in.

Some pre-recorded songs, which will be sung by a number of well known singers like Sunidhi Chauhan, Shubha Mudgal and Shaan were also played.

Around 60,000 spectators are expected to attend the event, that will start at 7 p.m. and end 9.30 p.m.