Olympic blunder sees ring go missing at opening ceremony for China’s National Games
Organisers apologise after one of the five rings fails to light up on cue in repeat of notorious blunder at start of Russia’s Winter Games
Organisers of China’s National Games opening ceremony have apologised after one of the five Olympic rings failed to light up as planned.
The four-yearly event, which the national Olympic committee said was modelled on the Games, is being held in Tianjin.
Athletes from across China, including Hong Kong, will compete over the next two weeks.
During the opening ceremony on Sunday evening, five rings were suspended from the roof of the stadium, but only four were illuminated.
The fifth one was lit up by fireworks for a few seconds, before fading again.
A director and a producer bowed in apology at a news conference afterwards, calling the missing ring “a very big regret”, The Beijing News reported on Monday.