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First World Indigenous Games kicks off amid festivity and protest

Xinhua, October 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

The inaugural World Indigenous Games kicked off Friday in remote Brazilian central city Palmas after a festive opening ceremony in which the indigenous athletes coming from all over the world mingled with each other.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff attended the opening ceremony without giving a speech, but she and other Brazilian officials were still booed by a small group of Brazilian indigenous people denouncing Brazilian government lacks of support and investment towards them.

Despite of that, the ceremony was in a upbeat mood with hundreds of indigenous people decked out in their traditional finest, and singing their own songs.

Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, wasn't on the spot but addressed the crowd through his representative before the athletes' parade.

"I'm pleased to convey my greetings to all those gathered for the opening ceremony of the first World Indigenous Games. This event is an outstanding example of how sports can unite people and promote peace. I take this opportunity to call on all government and civil society to urgently advance the work of integrating the rights of indigenous peoples," Ban's representative said.

Billed as the first "indigenous Olympics", the Games will see some 1,800 indigenous athletes from 24 countries and regions take part in some competitive and demonstration sports events in the next nine days.

As well as peoples from all the Americas, delegations arrived from Australia, Russia, the Philippines and so on. From Brazil alone, 24 indigenous ethnicities will be taking part.

Indigenous athletes will compete in a variety of sporting events, ranging from a few Western-style competitions (football, athletics, and swimming) to many indigenous traditional games.

Some will be played competitively such as canoeing, archery and Corrida de Tora, but there will be a huge number of non-competitive demonstration events in which indigenous peoples have chosen to showcase their living heritage of games. A good example is xikunahity, a football-style game in which the ball is controlled only with the head.

The Games also runs parallel to a comprehensive program of discourse and celebration of culture, which includes the latest Indigenous People's Social Forum, activities for indigenous women, lecture series and fairs. Endi