MO Farah's decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games last week was seen as a major blow to Glasgow 2014.

The Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion was, after all, probably the most famous name who was due to appear after sprinter Usain Bolt.

However, the no-show by the English long-distance runner at Hampden did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of spectators yesterday.

Over 40,000 people crammed into the Mount Florida stadium - famous across the world for the football matches it has hosted - for the first athletics session of these games.

And the absence of Farah, who was forced to pull out due to an illness, clearly didn't bother any of them in the slightest.

They applauded and cheered competitors, regardless of their nationality, for over four hours and generated a real carnival atmosphere.

It was no real surprise as the people of Glasow and Scotland, as well as those who have travelled from further afield, have embraced the Commonwealth Games fully.

Allan Wells, the 1980 Olympic 100m champion, was in attendance and he admitted that he was taken aback by the noise generated throughout the afternoon.

The Scot said: "Is Hampden a football stadium? I think it is probably an athletics stadium now. I was at Ibrox on Saturday for the rugby sevens and the atmosphere was absolutely incredible. But this is even more electric."

The only medals that were decided were in the women's para-sport long jump and in the men's 5,000m that Farah was scheduled to compete in. However, the heats for the men's and women's 100m and the women's 400m were supported just as enthusiastically by those in attendance.

As, for that matter, were the qualifying sessions for both the men's shot put and the women's hammer throw.

The biggest roar of the entire day, though, was for Caleb Ndiku of Kenya as he finished first in the men's 5,000m in a time of 13m 12s.

The 21-year-old afterwards insisted that he would have given Farah a race if his celebrated rival had been fit enough to appear in Glasgow. And he vowed to use his stunning victory here as a springboard to challenge for even greater glory in the future in the World Championships and Olympics.

The world indoor 3,000m champion said: "Two years ago I sat down with my coach and we decided to start thinking of doing the 5,000m.

"We have a four-year plan. We are very focused on the Olympics in two years and the World Championships next year."

He went on: "It was good for me that Mo Farah was not here. But this was the best kind of day to face Mo Farah. It was very tricky because of the weather.

"I was ready to face him. That was why I dyed my hair gold before the race. I knew I had the ability to win this race no matter who was running.

"I would be happy to face Mo Farah in any race. Yes, he has been beating Kenyans, but he has not beaten Kenyans when I have been there. I am ready to face him."

Ndiku, who beat his countryman Isiah Koech into second place by two seconds, admitted rain had almost jeopardised his bid to land gold.

He said: "The weather was tricky. I don't like this cold weather because I come from a very hot region. I wasn't surprised when I saw it was raining. At the beginning, all of the Kenyans were shivering.

"So it was difficult. But by the second lap I could tell my body was responding well to the climate. It would have been a good day to take on Mo Farah."

Rosefelo Siosi of the Solomon Islands trailed home in last place in the men's 5,000m - nearly FOUR MINUTES after winner Ndiku had finished. But the 17-year-old, the youngest competitor in the race, was roared every step of the way by a crowd who clearly realised that, in some instances, taking part matters as much as winning.

Jodi Elkington of Australia won the women's para-sport long jump with a leap of 4m 39cm. All in all, then, it was a fantastic start to the athletics and augurs well for the remainder of the Commonwealth Games.