The Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta., officially began March 7 with an opening ceremony and wrap up on Saturday. (Chantal Dubuc/CBC)

Organizers of the 21st Arctic Winter Games in Grande Prairie, Alta., say they had no choice but to keep athletes and coaches who were part of last Sunday's opening ceremony in a separate area for two hours before they could enter the main venue.

The strict protocol devised by the international organizing committee for the Games dictates that the participating teams don't enter the main hall until the second half of the opening ceremony, said Jackie Clayton, director of culture and ceremony for the Grande Prairie host committee.

That is why the teams were kept entertained in a separate section of the Crystal Centre arena during the first act, which showcased performers from northern Alberta, she said.

"The official opening ceremonies has a very strict template," Clayton said. "We followed that template to a T — … [in minutes] 0 to 7, this needs to happen; between minutes 8 to 11, this needs to happen."

Some of the 2,000 athletes and coaches who have come from around the circumpolar world for the week-long sporting event complained they were kept in an overheated hall with no seats or food before the athletes' parade began in the main hall.

Some athletes even told CBC News they had to compete early the next morning without having had enough sleep or food.

Participants told they would be waiting: organizers

But Leigh Goldie, the host committee's director of care and comfort, said coaches were responsible for preparing their athletes for the ceremony and that participants were told to bring snacks and water bottles.

"We certainly did our best to get the word out to eat before you go, that we'll have food when you come back, and bring water and hydration when you're there," Goldie told CBC News. "We tried our best to get that word out."

Teams were given pizza when they returned to the athletes' residences, he said.

A separate celebration was held in another part of the arena for the athletes to keep them entertained during the first act, Clayton said.

"The first act of our opening was an opportunity … for the athletes and the cultural participants to have a party, celebrate, get to know each other and also an opportunity for us to highlight some local entertainers to the spectators on the other side," she said.

The teams competing in the Arctic Winter Games represent Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, northern Quebec, northern Alberta, Alaska, Scandinavia, Greenland and Russia.

The athletes will be present for the full one-hour closing ceremony on Saturday evening, organizers said.