Chinese President Xi Jinping declares Asian Games open – 2023

Hangzhou, China: Amid a dazzling and at times exuberant opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping officially inaugurated the 19th Asian Games on Saturday in the city of Hangzhou. A resounding cheer filled the 80,000-capacity stadium as Xi made his entrance, joining esteemed guests that included International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

These Games, postponed for a year due to China’s stringent COVID-19 containment measures, represent the nation’s most significant sporting event in over a decade by various measures. Approximately 12,000 athletes from 45 countries will compete in 40 different sports.

The opening ceremony witnessed a poignant moment when Afghanistan’s contingent, whose female athletes are based abroad due to the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports, marched alongside their male counterparts. Displaying the tri-color flag that symbolizes international resistance movements, these Afghan athletes rejected the flag favored by the Taliban.

Among the spirited cheers from the audience, teams like Chinese Taipei received warm welcomes, but none compared to the overwhelming support for the home team. Chinese athletes are anticipated to dominate the medals table once more, in stark contrast to the subdued atmosphere of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics held under China’s stringent zero-COVID conditions.

A local resident surnamed Zhao, on his way to the stadium, shared his excitement, saying, “I feel excited, particularly as a Hangzhou local. It’s a great chance to show the world how nice our city is… it was also delayed by a year. But that gave us a chance to prepare even better.”

To facilitate the event, a substantial “traffic control area” around the Olympic stadium was established, with road closures, the closure of at least one metro station, and the disruption of deliveries to other Games venues on Saturday.