The Melbourne Experience
England's Linda Elriani is on her third Commonwealth Games, and she's still enjoying it immensely ...

The England Squash Team have been in Melbourne, Australia since the 6th March.

For the first six days we were based in Glen Waverley at a Novotel which “Team England” and the Aussie swimmers took over as their holding camp, and then on the 11th March we gathered up our belongings and joined the 70 other nations in the CWG athletes' village.

With this being my third CWG (I know, I'm old!!) I've obviously seen the setup in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in '98 and also in Manchester 2002 and this village is definitely extremely impressive!

Having brand new houses built especially for the occasion, which will be sold off after the games, has given the village a proper 'lived in' feel, with streets and signposts, its own post office, florist and hairdressers!

Living in the village really gets you in the 'competition mood', seeing everyone in their country's team kit, people of all different shapes and sizes and competing in 16 different sports makes you realise what a huge multi-sport event this is, which is not a feeling we're used to, even at our biggest events.

Wednesday 15th March was the opening ceremony, which is the day we'd all been waiting for for two main reasons. Firstly it's an amazing experience, one not to be missed, and secondly it means that we start playing our matches the very next day. So after having ten days in Oz preparing, at long last we can do what we're really here for – to play and compete and try to win some of those Commonwealth Games medals ...

At 5.30pm all of Team England met up at our HQ in our official ream outfits (a red and black gillet, black combat trousers and black t-shirt) and then we were taken in buses to the Rod Laver arena and waited with all the other countries until it was time to make our way to the MCG stadium where the opening ceremony was being held.

Even though we had to wait for a couple of hours, it all added to the excitement as the compere got each country trying to cheer the loudest, and inflatable ball and kangaroo were being smacked around the stands and we had live TV coverage on big screens inside the Rod Laver Arena showing the activities going on in the main stadium before we entered, and also the Queen's Baton being passed along the river.

The MCG is a huge stadium seating 90,000 people, so it is definitely the biggest crowd that any of us squashies had ever been in front of.

England were the first country into the stadium because of being the host nation for the 2002 games. I loved that we were first in, we were the lucky ones who would be first to see the stadium, the crowd, and of course the Queen was also present which makes it just a bit more special. I'm not really a big royal family fan, but I have to admit that having the Queen watching over us added a definite importance to the whole affair.



As we walked our way from one stadium to the next our adrenalin started to pump and you could feel a general excitement and buzz from everyone. Eventually we were waiting at the mouth of the stadium behind a huge black curtain. When the curtain was finally pulled back there was a giant cheer from everyone and we all surged forward, eager to enter the arena.

We jumped and cheered our way along the long white platform which took us to the dead centre of the arena. We were frantically waving at any TV cameras even vaguely looking our way in the hope of getting on the telly so our friends and family might see us back home (incidentally, I didn't get on the telly, but I'm sure I was cheering and waving harder than anyone else!).

After the platform raising and the live band, we trailed our way onto the outer track and did a whole lap taking in the whole experience and atmosphere, also taking as many photos as humanly possible of everyone and everything to show everyone at home and to have as precious memories of such an amazing time.

Because we were first in we saw every country, all 70, follow us in, right up to Australia who were obviously last being the host nation. Once all the countries had entered the Queen did her CWG speech and we all sang her happy birthday because it's her 80th in 30 days or so.

After the important and official speeches were finished we had a song from Delta Goodrum, who apparently wrote a song especially for the occasion. The fantastic part of this finale were the skaters with fireworks strapped to their backs, dashing around with blazing lights flying off their torsos. It was the perfect ending to an amazing evening.

The whole evening was an incredible experience, but it has to be said that the cheering and atmosphere was even more electric in Manchester four years ago. Maybe it was because the stadium was smaller and therefore the crowds were closer and consequently seemed bigger, and maybe with us being the hosts.

We were bound to be more cheered for, but when it comes down to it the opening ceremonies are definitely a huge part of the whole CWG experience and I'll definitely never forget the three that I have been privileged to be part of, and certainly not this one as this is my last year of playing professionally.

Now the play is under way, so good luck to everyone and I hope that England can take back as many medals as humanly possible – my fingers are crossed!

As it says on our CWG badges ... “Go Team England” !!!

Linda Elriani