19th Asian Games ready to lift off in Hangzhou

The 19th Asian Games, Asia's greatest sports event overseen by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), will begin tomorrow (Saturday) with a stunning opening ceremony in Hangzhou, China.

The opening ceremony of the multi-sport event, which will take place at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, is anticipated to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Bangladeshi athletes are likewise eager to showcase their abilities. Bangladesh's Olympic campaign has already begun, with men's and women's football and women's cricket.

Athletes from ten disciplines have already arrived in Hangzhou for the Games.

Grand Master Niaz Morshed and Captain Sabina Khatun of the Bangladesh women's football team will carry the Bangladesh flag at the opening ceremonial march-past of the largest Asian Games in history.

Nearly 12,000 competitors from 45 countries and territories will compete for 481 gold medals at the Games. The Games were scheduled to take place in September but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. China is hosting the Asian Games for the third time, following Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.

The Games will be held at 54 venues, 14 of which are brand new, largely in Hangzhou, but also in locations as far south as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres (180 miles). The stadium, which can hold up to 80,000 people, will host athletics as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

Syed Shahed Reza, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA), who is now in Hangzhou, expressed strong hopes for the athletes' positive performance in the Games.

He hoped that the athletes from Bangladesh will do well in the archery and shooting disciplines during the games.

The BOA secretary general also voiced his great hopes for the two expatriate athletes, female boxer Zeenat Ferdous and England-based Bangladeshi sprinter Imranur Rahman, stating that there is also potential for good results in boxing and athletics contests.
 
Bangladesh has 17 athletes competing in the Games. The disciplines are archery (men's and women's), athletics (men's and women's), boxing ( men's and women's), cricket(men's and women's), football (man's and women's), bridge (men's), Gold (men's and women's), hockey (men's), kabaddi (men's and women's), shooting(men's and women's), swimming(men's and women's), weightlifting (men's), gymnastics (men's) karate (men's and women's), chess, fencing and taekwondo.