I could feel excitement of our athletes during PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony - NOC official

PYEONGCHANG. KAZINFORM - Yelsiyar Kanagatov, head of the Sports Directorate of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, shared his emotions with Kazinform correspondent after the opening ceremony of the 23rd Winter Olympic Games.

How was the PyeongChang Olympics opening ceremony?

The opening ceremonies of Olympic Games are always different. As you see, the Koreans held this important event in the open air. The ceremony was great. Koreans were able to demonstrate their culture, traditions and customs during the performances.

Did you get cold during the parade in the open air?

Well, actually I thought we would get cold. It is an open-air stadium. I thought that athletes were going to be cold. But the wait wasn't as long as we expected. The organizing committee didn't revealed what the ceremony was going to be like. That is why we were a little bit worried. But everything went just fine.

What was the atmosphere during the parade? Could you feel the excitement of our athletes?

Our athletes came here knowing they will participate in the Olympic Games. Everyone dreams of Olympic medals. The solemn opening ceremony of the Olympic Games excites every athlete. I think our athletes felt the excitement. During the parade they looked happy and cheerful.