The 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games to start at the Carrara Stadium in Gold Coast, Australia. The Games, which will see more than 4,500 athletes from 71 nations fighting for 275 gold medals across 23 events, will run through 11 days. Moreover, for the first time ever, there will be the same number of men's and women's medal events at the Games. The Indian contingent at the ceremony, consisting of over 200 athletes, will be led by flag-bearer PV Sindhu, the Rio Olympic silver medalist. The squad also includes double Olympic medal list Sushil Kumar, and London Olympic bronze medal-lists Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Gagan Narang.

On Thursday, the first gold medal of the event will be contested in the women's triathlon. Australia is hosting the Commonwealth Games for the fifth time. When not competing, the athletes at the Gold Coast village can relax with virtual reality computer games, swim, lounge by a man-made waterfall, play the piano or sample the free lollies and ice cream.

Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall and the Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull take the stage. They are joined by Louis martin, Peter Beattie, Chairman of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee, among others. The performers are now enacting a totem ceremony - the ritual of handing down of the knowledge from the ancestors to the young and future future generations. The 'Eagle Dance', a dance form of the Saibai Island, commences, which symbolises the preservation of the tribe and the future generation of the tribe.