Nethmi Ahinsa leads SL parade at Glittering Closing Ceremony Heightening Brotherhood of Man

Asia's greatest sports spectacle, the 20th Asian Games wended it's final journey in all the finery of a Sunday best as the day found its anointed time 6.30 in Japan and 2.30 Sri Lanka time.

Sri Lanka's participation was highlighted by sprightly women's wrestler Nethmi Ahinsa who led the156 member Sri Lankan athletic contingent in the moving Grandeur of that final bow. The ceremony opening up with a dazzling laser light show in a canopy of a glittering laser show in driving home the Game's tradition in all its festive, colorful multi blend of dance, song and art as an estimated 11,000 athletes from 45 countries assembled in an emotional final salute and parade of marking the participation of all Asia's athletic community.

Indeed, the unified show of strength that the showpiece signifies that goes beyond the fierce medal competition. The ultimate symbol of an ever fostering ambiance of the brotherhood of man over everything else. It signified the unifying importance attached by the governing Asian Athletic Council recognizing every nation big and small from the top champion record 347 medal winning country China to the last placed zero Syria. Signifying the great slogan that above all participation that matters.

The historic day found Japan find it's day in that final satisfaction and joy that overflowed of having hosted the third Asian Games in it's history. The diversely spruced up folklore giving the final radiation:
cherry-blossom -adorned costumes hyping up the sweeping floral visual across the venue. A major highlight being the massive bon-odori dance, a traditional Japanese art form representing harmony and unity. This was set to the energetic and famously colorful song “Matsuken Samba II,” bringing a lively festival-like energy to the stadium floor as the dust settled on Asia's greatest sporting spectacle.

By Srian Obeyesekere