Asian Games 2023 underway with glittering opening ceremony in Hangzhou, China president Xi in attendance
The 19th edition of the Asian Games got underway in Hangzhou after a year’s delay with a glittering opening ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium on Saturday, September 23.
The opening ceremony exhibited the cultural significance of the city in front of a packed house. The Parade of Nations was accompanied by traditional Chinese music in a short and crisp ceremony to mark the start of the 2-week continental sporting extravaganza.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan were in attendance at the opening ceremony, which was held in the evening session at the iconic stadium, which is also called the Big Lotus. In fact, the loudest cheer came for the host nation, China which walked out last in the Parade of Nations.
India’s contingent was led by Olympic medalists Lovlina Borgohain and Harmanpreet Singh. The Indian contingent at the Parade of Nations was attended by quite a few athletes, including veteran tennis star Rohan Bopanna. The Indian male athletes wore a golden-colored kura with a floral jacket while the female athletes were dressed in sari at the Parade of the Nations.
Acting Olympic Council of Asia president Randhir Singh was also in attendance at the opening ceremony as he cheered for the Indian athletes during the Parade of Nations. Notably, Afghanistan kickstarted the Parade of Nations as athletes from 45 countries and regions took part in the well-organised opening ceremony.
Randhir Singh invited President Xi Jinping to officially declare open the Hangzhou Asian Games. Electronic smokeless fireworks decorated the Hangzhou night sky after President XI declared open the Games. The Olympic Council of Asia flag was hoisted at the end of the opening ceremony.
“To the organising committee, you have done a fantastic job in preparing for the Asian Games. The one-year postponement due to the pandemic was unprecedented in the OCA history. But your diligence and determination will bear fruit over the next 16 days and you will be rewarded with the most magnificent and successful Asian Games ever. The OCA salutes you,” Randhir Singh said, thanking the organisers of the Games.
Notably, China was hosting the Asian Games for the 3rd time in the tournament’s history after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.
The opening ceremony began with artists performing dance and a light show that showcased the coming together of China’s traditions and their futuristic elements like Artificial Intelligence and eco-friendly technology.
THE THREE MASCOTS
It was followed by the Chinese national anthem and the hosting of the Chinese national flag at the packed venue. A traditional chinese opera followed the flag-hoisting ceremony.
Then came the three mascots of the Asian Games and they were cheered on by the athletes and fans at the venues. The three mascots, Congcong, Chenchen and Lianlian, danced to songs at the opening ceremony.
The mascots are a group of robots that represent the cultural richness of Hangzhou and contemporary vitality, according to Chinese media. The mascots, which are blue, green, and yellow in color, are collectively named “Jiangnan Yi,” or “Memories of Jiangnan.
The Asian Games 2023 features 40 sports and 61 sporting disciplines, including the 33 that featured at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, as well as six from the Paris Olympics 2024, two put forward by the Local Organising Committee, and a sport from each of Asia’s five regions. E-sports and Break-dancing are the two sports included for the first time. In total, there are 481 gold medals at stake at the Hangzhou Games.
For the India at 19th Asian Games India is sending a total contingent of 921, which includes 655 athletes (332 male and 323 female athletes) and 260 coaches and support staff.
India has largest number of participants in Athletics with 68 athletes and Shooting and Rowing being on second spot with 33 participants each.