MUMBAI: New Zealand Prime Minister John Key declared the World Cup open on 12 February, 2015 in Christchurch. With thousands in attendance and millions watching around the world, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 opened in spectacular fashion with star-laden events in both Christchurch and Melbourne.
Featuring sporting and entertainment icons, cultural performances and impressive pyrotechnic displays, the opening event has set the right tune for the 2015 World Cup.
With digital being the theme for 2015, a giant robot lit with LED lights is the mascot for this edition of the World Cup.
The ceremony did not become a talking point in India and the World Cup enthusiasm was missing the ignition, which finally came from none other than the digital savvy Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. He used Twitter to infuse the World Cup enthusiasm in players and spectators’ mind with his emotional tweet, “As the 2015 Cricket World Cup begins, my best wishes to the Indian Cricket Team. Khelo Dil se World Cup Lao phirse.” The rhythmic Hindi line may give tough competition to Star Sports’ campaign slogan We won’t give it back.
Modi also used the social media platform to convey his best wishes to each and every member of the team by tweeting individually to them. His tweet to captain Dhoni read, “My best wishes to captain cool @msdhoni. Play hard, lead well & make India proud. Knowing you, I am sure you will.” The humorous tweet dedicated to Ravindra Jadeja said, “Who is not a fan of Sir Jadeja? We all look forward to seeing your all round performances take India to victory! @imjadeja.”
Modi also took the opportunity to reach out to the leaders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. In a series of tweets the PM mentioned, “Spoke to President @ashrafghani, PM Sheikh Hasina, PM Nawaz Sharif & President Sirisena. Conveyed my best wishes for the Cricket World Cup. 5 SAARC Nations are playing & are excited about the World Cup. Am sure WC will celebrate sportsman spirit & will be a treat for sports lovers. Cricket connects people in our region & promotes goodwill. Hope players from SAARC region play with passion & bring laurels to the region.”
Not only the Prime Minister but the entire media fraternity is also buoyed by the World Cup. Indiantelevision.com took the opportunity to know media stalwarts’ plan for the flagship tournament.
When asked about the Word Cup plans NDTV executive vice-chairperson K.V.L. Narayan Rao replied, “I am highly excited about the tournament and I will cheer my heart out for India. I will rate India as my favourites despite their current poor performances. Star India’s ‘We won’t give it back’ campaign was a positive one, it sends a good message to both players and audiences. The players would be playing in Australia and New Zealand and it is very important for us to support them from here in India. Our loyalties will make them stronger.”
Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta added, “Though I don’t follow 50 overs cricket a lot, I will try to catch as much action as possible. The team that plays good cricket throughout the tournament will win. I want the best team to win.”
Hats Off productions founder J D Majhetia said, “I am ecstatic about the World Cup. Though my heart is always with India, I am supporting Australia and South Africa. It’s high time South Africa wins a World Cup if not India. I have travelled all across to catch World Cup actions live. World Cup is a celebration and I will celebrate with fans and families.”
Madison Communications COO Karthik Lakshminarayanan asserted, “I am definitely excited about the tournament and will try to see all the India matches. I will support the team that plays good cricket throughout the tournament. I expect this tournament to be one of the finest in terms of discipline and sportsman spirit.”
