19th Asian Games: SYA Union Minister attends opening ceremony

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday, launching a two-week sporting. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs U Min Thein Zan also joined this opening ceremony.

After being delayed by a year because of China's zero-Covid policy, more than 12,000 competitors from 45 nations and territories will battle it out in 40 sports. International Olympic Committee president was also among the dignitaries.

A breathtaking performance, titled Water in Autumn Glow, kicked off the festivities at the Big Lotus. The show, which brought together the old and the new, was an ode to the host nation’s rich cultural heritage and forward-looking nature. 

The Parade of Nations involving 45 countries started with Afghanistan. The Asian Games 2023 torch, carried by China’s Olympic champions, along with millions of online torch-bearers digitally lit a virtual torch on the Qiantang River to bring the ceremony to a close.