HANGZHOU, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) — The nineteenth Asian Games closed right here on Sunday beneath the theme of “Enduring Memories of Hangzhou” for the closing ceremony, highlighting the ability and unity of sports activities and the Asian Games.
Over the previous 16 days, round 12,000 athletes from 45 international locations and areas shared unforgettable moments in Hangzhou, marking the third time that China has hosted the continental multi-sports occasion, following Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.
With breakdancing and esports making their debuts as official medal sports activities, the Hangzhou Asian Games featured 40 sports activities, 61 disciplines and 481 occasions. China clinched 201 golds, 111 silvers and 71 bronzes, ending atop the medal tally for the eleventh consecutive version since 1982 and bettering its earlier report of 199 golds at Guangzhou 2010.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) appearing president Raja Randhir Singh attended the closing ceremony on the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.
Singh declared the Games closed, praising the organizers as “the perfect host that the OCA will never forget.”
“The power of sport, the power of the Asian Games is to unite us all in life. I would like to thank the Chinese government, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the people of Hangzhou and the Hangzhou organizing committee (HAGOC) for what you have done and ensured that the Hangzhou Asian Games were an unprecedented success,” stated the OCA appearing president.
“The Qiantang River continually flows into the sea, and the light of Asia will continue to shine brightly in the future. The Asian Games flame is about to be extinguished, but its spirit will live on,” stated Gao Zhidan, organizing committee president.
“On this continent where countries share mountains, rivers and close cultural bonds, let’s promote peace, solidarity and inclusiveness through sports, uphold the Asian Games spirit, and work together to create a better future. Together, we will write a new chapter of an Asian community with a shared future,” added Gao, additionally president of the Chinese Olympic Committee.
Enhanced with AR visible results, the stadium, also referred to as the “Big Lotus”, was a blooming backyard with 19 big osmanthus flowers throughout the parade of athletes, symbolizing the variety of Asian cultures and the prosperity of Asia.
Xie Zhenye, who achieved a golden double within the males’s 100m and 4x100m relay in Hangzhou, served as Chinese delegation’s flagbearer on the closing ceremony.
Transforming from spectators to members, athletes marched into the stadium as a part of the efficiency, together with components of musical theater and artwork installations within the Asian Garden.
With the OCA flag lowered and the OCA anthem performed, Hangzhou mayor Yao Gaoyuan handed the flag to Singh, who entrusted the flag to Hideaki Omura, governor of Aichi prefecture and Hideo Nakata, deputy mayor of Nagoya, the host metropolis of the 2026 Asian Games.
Echoing with the opening ceremony the place a digital torchbearer lit the cauldron along with swimming Olympic champion Wang Shun, the digital torchbearer returned for the closing ceremony.
Following the extinguishing of the cauldron, the digital torchbearer stepped out and remodeled into starlight filling up the night time sky, passing on the flame of sports activities and the spirit of the Asian Games.
Behind China, Japan completed in second place with 52 gold, 67 silver and 69 bronze medals, adopted by South Korea on 42-59-89. 27 international locations and areas gained gold medals, whereas 41 delegations pocketed not less than one medal.
China’s swimmers Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang had been collectively awarded Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Asian Games on Saturday.
Olympic champion Zhang, 25, clinched six titles in her signature occasions, whereas 24-year-old world champion Qin pocketed 5 golds and a silver on his second Asiad look.
Their compatriots Li Bingjie, Xu Jiayu and Wang Shun additionally made a splash within the pool with a haul of a number of gold medals, whereas Oluwakemi Mujidat Adekoya of Bahrain and China’s Wang Chuqin clinched 4 golds in athletics and desk tennis respectively.
The Hangzhou Asiad additionally produced world-leading performances with a complete of 13 world information having been damaged.