The London Olympics 2012 kicked off with a breathtaking three-and-a-half hour opening ceremony. Head of State Queen Elizabeth II declared the Games open amidst thunderous cheers from the capacity crowd of 80,000, signalling the launch of the biggest sporting spectacle, which returned to Britain after a gap of 64 years.Following the tradition, Greece was the first to enter the arena for the march past while Great Britain, as the host nation, was the last contingent to enter the stadium. Beijing Bronze winner wrestler Sushil Kumar led the largest Indian contingent ever, holding high the Indian tri-colour.London presented a vibrant picture of Great Britain's rich heritage and culture as a colourful opening ceremony marked the inauguration of the 30th Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium. Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire' director Danny Boyle masterminded the show, costing 27 million pounds to stage—less than half the estimated spending on the Beijing equivalent in 2008 and dramatically different in style.The eagerly awaited opening ceremony began with a mass countdown and the chime of a giant bell, ushering in an exuberant celebration of British history, art and culture. The centre of the stadium was transformed into an English pastoral idyll complete with grassy meadows, fences, hedges, a water mill, maypoles and even a cottage with smoking chimney. A cast, including shepherdesses, sheep, geese, dogs and a village cricket team, filled the stage during the one-hour prologue to the show that included a dramatic, low-level fly-past by jets of the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows stunt team.About 80,000 spectators crowded into the state-of-the-art arena at the Olympic Park, built in a previously run-down area of the city's East End. Over a billion more people tuned in around the world for the extravaganza. Among the crowd were celebrities, ordinary Londoners, visitors from abroad and dignitaries, including US First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Presidents, Prime Ministers and European royalty. For the next 17 days, the drama of sporting contest takes hold as more than 10,000 athletes from 204 nations will aim to achieve their ultimate dream -the Olympic Gold.Meanwhile, India began their campaign in the Archery events on a disappointing note on Friday. In the team ranking rounds, the Men finished 12th and the Women ended ninth.