The opening ceremony of the 22nd Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England took place late on Thursday night. More than 5000 athletes from 72 countries are participating in this Maha Kumbh of the Games. India's 213 players will participate in 16 sports. The country's President Draupadi Murmu has congratulated the Indian team for the Commonwealth Games. He tweeted and wrote, "On behalf of all the countrymen, I congratulate the Indian contingent for the Commonwealth Games 2022. I am sure that our players will make the country proud with their excellent performance. All the countrymen wish you all the best for your victory. PV Sindhu and Manpreet Singh were the flag bearers of India in the opening ceremony. Sindhu is a two-time Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in badminton at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Sindhu has got a chance to become the flag bearer for the second time in a row. She was also India's flag bearer for the last time in Australia's Gold Coast (2018).