ANTANANARIVO, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on Friday evening was highly appreciated here with the local media describing it as "impeccable and hallucinating", "a masterstroke" which drew Madagascans before televisions.

    The opening ceremony, which was broadcast live by official national television, Televisiona Malagasy, "was without limit, impeccable and hallucinating", said Les Nouvelles, a French- language daily, published on Saturday.

    "The Beijing Olympic Games began sucessfully. It was far from a test, it was a masterstroke", it added.

    "When the Madagascan flag made its entrance into the stadium before thousands of lights, it was divine for the Indian Ocean island country," the popular daily said.

    The paper was pround of Madagascan boxer Soloniaina Razanadrakoto, who carried the national flag into the national stadium, or bird's nest as it was known world wide, saying that it was a sign that Madagascar was a part of the great nations and it had melt into the Olympic spirit.

    Madagascans were very happy watching the opening ceremony through the national television channel, especially the magical entering of 16 Madagascan delegates which led to a lot of fanfare they passed on the television's screen.

    L'Express, another French-Language daily, congratulated China for hosting the Olympic Games, saying that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing witnessed a wave of magic, power and aesthetics that China had the secret.

    Midi, also a French-language daily, reported the opening ceremony in its frontpage on Saturday, describing it as realization of a particular expectation.

    The Beijing Olympic Games, which had invited so much talk, was finally materialized and "the event was marked by a particular expectation, because China has prepared the opening ceremony in the greatest secrecy", Midi said, adding that the opening ceremony was "very exceptional" and "formidable", attracting the eyes of the world.

    Le Quotidien said in its headline on Saturday that the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games was grandiose.

    Taratra, a Malagasy-language daily, said that China realized the most expensive Olympic Games and showed its competence and richness during the opening ceremony.

    The Madagascan presidential website appreciated that President Marc Ravalomanana and his wife benefited a special reception as the first head of state hosted by the Chinese president Hu Jintao, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday on the sidelines of the banquet hosted by the Chinese president in honor of all heads of states and their wives attending the official opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.