BVI joins 202 countries in Olympic Games opening ceremonies

British Virgin Islands top sprinter Dion Crabbe was the territory's flag bearer in last Friday’s opening ceremonies of the 28th Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, an experience that’s forever etched in his memory.

“I was nothing like I’ve ever experienced before,” Crabbe said. “I carried flag at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, but, it was just something about it. Coming from a small country, sometimes you feel bad that you are the only person, but it felt really good representing even though it was me alone.”

While he was not able to see much of the activities, Crabbe said the early part was similar to his experience in Manchester in 2002. “But, then at the same time, it’s the games,” Crabbe said. “It was different seeing how the crowd reacted to the different countries. At the end, the fireworks were crazy, incredible. Like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”

Head Track and Field coach Dag Samuels said it was the longest Olympic Games opening ceremony he has attended in three appearances. “But it had a spectacular close with the flag and lighting of the torch,” said Samuels who was near the final action. “We couldn’t do better than that.”

Samuels said even with the restrictions and guidelines placed on many of the sports in terms of qualifying, there was still a lot of people which made the parade longer. “It was colorful and what the Olympics are suppose to be.”

A day before the opening ceremonies, the BVI’s delegations was officially welcomed to the Olympic Games Village on August 12, by Village Mayor Ioannis Manos. The ceremony was held at 8 p.m. with Chef de Mission Dean Greenaway receiving a gift on behalf of his delegation and presented the Mayor with a bottle of Pussers Rum, a BVI Welcome Magazine and a BVI Olympic Committee pin.