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Let the Games begin: Hangzhou Asian Games begin with mesmerising ceremony
Directed by Sha Xiaolan and Lu Chuan, the hi-tech show depicted China's natural resources, Hangzhou's history, and Asian camaraderie
On a night awash in dazzling lights and a spell-binding laser show, the world's AI capital flexed its technological muscle to put up a memorable spectacle as Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the 19th edition of the Asian Games open on a salubrious Saturday evening in Hangzhou.
The 80,000-seater lotus-shaped Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre stadium, full to rafters and bathed in hues of pink and purple, throbbed as athletes from 45 nations emerged from the designated gates and walked to the centre where they were met with synchronised applause and a raucous cheer as the Asian Games, the last major Covid-delayed sporting spectacle, officially came to life.
The event began exactly at 8 pm local time with most seats having been taken at least an hour in advance. It ended in exactly 115 minutes, the duration quoted by the organisers to the local media. Right from the moment Jinping first appeared on the giant screen to a thundering applause to the time the last of performers exited the ground, each event flowed in seamless, cyclic precision.
The ceremony, directed by Sha Xiaolan and Lu Chuan, depicted China's natural resources, Hangzhou's history, and Asian camaraderie. It was divided into three chapters - Timeless Grace, Tidal Bore of the Qiantangjiang River, and Together Towards the Future.
The standout feature of the evening was the virtual torchbearer that lit the cauldron, a symbol of cutting-edge technology and human interface coming together in a mesmerising display of science and art. About 35 paper-thin screens, suspended from the top, served as the canvas for the laser to do its magic, creating a metaverse of augmented reality that left the audience spellbound.
“Finally, we can gather for the 19th Asian Games,” Raja Randhir Singh, acting president of the OCA, told the crowd to more cheers.
“The one-year postponement was unprecedented in OCA history,” he added.
Jinping, seated in one of the top tiers, then declared the Games open. “I declare the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games open,” he said in mandarin.
For the first time in Games history, each contingent had two flag bearers, one male and a female, in line with the Olympic Council of Asia's commitment to gender parity. The Indian contingent, led by men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh and women's world champion Lovlina Borgohain, marched out 15 minutes into the ceremony to appreciable applause. Perhaps reflective of the prevailing geopolitics, the loudest cheers, after the home contingent, were reserved for Macau, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, North Korea, and Pakistan.
India have named a 655-member contingent at the Games, their largest ever. With a number of athletes choosing to skip the ceremony owing to upcoming events on Sunday, India's opening ceremony contingent consisted of only 200 athletes. The Games are unprecedented in scale with over 12,500 athletes from 45 nations having sent their entries. Tokyo Olympics, held in a bubble, hosted about 11,000 athletes.
"To be chosen among one of India's flag bearers is a matter of great pride for me. It also brings a lot of responsibility. I wish my fellow athletes all the best and we hope to come back with a lot of gold medals," Borgohaoin, a bronze medallist at Tokyo Games, said.
The Games' favourites remain China who started participating in the Asian Games only in 1974. In the 12 editions since, they have topped the overall medals tally a staggering 10 times. The hopes from the home contingent are high this time too.
India, who had their best-ever Asiad medal haul (70) in 2018, will hope to inch towards the coveted 100-medal mark in a single edition. While shooting, wrestling, boxing, and athletics remain India's strongest suits, disciplines such as esports and weightlifting are also expected to pay dividends. For India, the first medal event is on Sunday morning with rowers having made four finals followed by women's 10m air rifle shooting.
