Unfurling of a flag is a tricky task and it often requires help from an expert.
The prestigious all India cricket and athletic competitions, involving more than 800 civil servants from all over the country, took off to an “embarrassing” start as the national flag, to be hoisted by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, failed to unfurl.
The organisers installed three posts to hoist the National, All India Civil Services and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh flags by the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues — Minister for Irrigation Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao and Minister for Sports Kollu Ravindra.
The Chief Minister tried to unfurl the tricolour by shaking the rope tied to the flag but his efforts went in vain as the flag ‘refused’ to unfurl. With his next few minutes of continuous effort not yielding the result; the officials extended their helping hand, but in vain.
After uttering a couple of harsh words, the Chief Minister moved on and hoisted the other two and took the customary salute of the colourful march past by the 18 teams.
With the media concentrating on the flag issue, the organising committee members uprooted the make-shift pole, adjusted the tricolour and hoisted it after loosening the knot.
Keen on not creating further embarrassment to the event, a couple of sports department employees held on to the pole until the Chief Minister left in his helicopter.
