The 19th edition of the Asian Games opened in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, as Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders of several other nations attended the opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony on Saturday “consists of 15 segments, which include the parade of athletes and the lighting of the cauldron. The opening day of the Hangzhou Asian Games aligns with the Autumn Equinox, one of China's 24 solar terms. It symbolizes harvest and reunion in the Chinese culture," state-run Global Times reported.
Over 12,000 athletes from 45 nations are participating in Asia’s biggest sporting event to compete in 40 sports.
The Asian Games, which were supposed to take place last September but were postponed because of COVID-19, will run through Oct. 8.
Among the attendants of the opening ceremony were South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and head of Syrian regime Bashar al-Assad.
President Xi was greeted by wild cheers when he appeared, and fans were handed LED star lights, adding sparkle to the stands when the lights dimmed and eight well-polished soldiers arrived carrying the national flag above their heads.
The loudest cheers were for the Chinese delegation, but Taiwan, North Korea, and Hong Kong were also welcomed warmly. There were no audible jeers for any delegation.
Diverse events beyond the Olympics
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were held in a COVID bubble. The 2008 Summer Olympics marked China's rise as a world power. These games serve as a promotional event for Hangzhou, the eastern metropolis of 8 million that seeks a larger stage, partly lost in the shadow of nearby Shanghai.
The giant numbers are due to the staggering array of events with many regional specialities, sports, and games you won't see at the Olympics.
Of course, there are the old standbys seen in every Olympics like track and field, swimming, or volleyball. Nine sports will offer qualification spots for the Olympics — archery, artistic swimming, boxing, breaking, hockey, modern pentathlon, sailing, tennis, and water polo. Many of the 481 events offer a chance for smaller delegations to win medals, which is often impossible at the Olympics.
China won almost 300 medals in the Asian Games five years ago and is sure to dominate again followed by Japan and South Korea.
