Magnificent Asian Cup opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 17th Asian Football Championship took place briefly at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, UAE on January 5.
The UAE hosted the 2019 Asian Cup opening ceremony in line with FIFA’s vision for major football events: simple, quick, and focused entirely on music. The entire ceremony lasted about 13 minutes, from the moment the trio of singers Hussain Al Jassmi, Eida Al Menhali and Balqees Ahmed Fathi appeared, until the fireworks were launched brilliantly at Zayed Sports City Stadium.
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Flares at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Asian Cup. |
43,000 seats in the stadium and hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide were treated to a ceremony filled with music and sound, with the main content being to honor the excellence of Asian football, while highlighting the vibrant, colorful culture of the host country UAE.
There were no interruptions during the ceremony. All attention was focused on the performance of three of the UAE's most famous singers. In modest but elegant costumes, they conveyed the message of the tournament's official song "Zanaha Zayed" (Bringing Asia Together).
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The opening ceremony singer, Balqees Ahmed Fathi, 30, is of Yemeni origin. |
The organizers of the 2019 Asian Cup opening ceremony were inspired by the story of the tournament’s mascot, Mansour, a Dubai native who was fascinated by the falcon’s high-altitude journeys. Following the trail of Jarrah the falcon, one of the two symbols of the tournament, Mansour traveled to the UAE and continued to explore more mysterious lands around the world.
More than 600 artists and dancers from around the world attended the Asian Cup opening ceremony. All created a mesmerizing musical party, leaving FIFA President Gianni Infantino constantly surprised in the VIP area of Zayed Sports City Stadium.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino (center) expressed satisfaction with the opening ceremony of the 2019 Asian Cup. |