Singer Lady Gaga is displayed on a videowall while fans light their phones during the opening ceremony of the 1st European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, June 12 , 2015.
Reuters/Stoyan Nenov
<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/><span id="midArticle_0"/> Pop star Lady Gaga sang John Lennon's 'Imagine' sitting at a flower-covered piano as the inaugural European Games got off to a glamorous start in the Azeri capital with a dazzling opening ceremony on Friday.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>The American six-time Grammy Award winner was a surprise addition to the ceremony, aimed at setting the stage for 16 days of competition in the continent's first multi-sports event which Azerbaijan hopes will put it firmly on the global sports map.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>In a two-hour curtain-raiser produced by Dimitris Papaioannou, who was in charge of the Athens 2004 Olympics ceremonies, the history of the nation on the shores of the Caspian sea unfurled in a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>"This is the proudest moment in the history of the European Olympic Committees," EOC President Patrick Hickey, whose organization awarded the Games to Baku in 2012, said in a brief speech.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>"We are creating a landmark moment in European sport. Tonight we add the missing fifth ring to the continental Games of the world."
<span id="midArticle_5"/>The 6,000 athletes entered the stadium with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev watching from the stands, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, sitting next to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and 35 other heads of state.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>A wide security cordon was thrown around the stadium and the surrounding area hours before the ceremony started.
<span id="midArticle_7"/> <span class="first-article-divide"/>The energy-rich nation has spent well over a billion dollars to stage its biggest sports extravaganza to date, building several venues from scratch for the 16-day competition.
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<span id="midArticle_9"/>ARMENIA BOOED
<span id="midArticle_10"/> <span class="second-article-divide"/>The Games, featuring 50 nations, have, however failed to attract the biggest track and field athletes and swimmers. Instead, lower-ranked competitors will take part in two of the most popular sports in the Olympic world.
<span id="midArticle_11"/>The second edition in 2019 is also up in the air after Netherlands withdraw from hosting it two days ago and less than a month after being awarded the event citing the cost.
<span id="midArticle_12"/>Kosovo, only recently admitted to the Olympic family, made its maiden appearance at an international multi-sports event but there were loud boos and jeers when the Armenian team entered the Olympic stadium.
<span id="midArticle_13"/>The two countries are at odds over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and as recently as April several soldiers from both sides were killed and more were injured.
<span id="midArticle_14"/> <span class="third-article-divide"/>Armenia's Olympic committee chief has not traveled to Baku while the country's participation in the Games was only possible after the intervention of Bach last year.
<span id="midArticle_15"/>Azerbaijan, whose government has banned officials from human rights organizations as well as some media from entering the country, is facing accusations of consistent human rights violations in the run-up to the Games.
<span id="midArticle_0"/>Ruled by the Aliyev family since 1993, Azerbaijan has rejected the accusations saying they were an effort by "some western circles to politicize the Games."
<span id="midArticle_1"/>While the opening ceremony offered organizers a brief respite from these questions, they are set to return when the competition starts in earnest on Saturday.
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<span id="midArticle_3"/> (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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