The 19th Asian Games will get underway on Saturday, September 23 in Hangzhou, China. A total of 45 countries and territories from the continent will take part in 61 disciplines across 40 sports. India have sent a record contingent of 921 to take part in the Asian Games, including 655 athletes, 260 coaches and support staff. While multiple events have already kicked off since September 19, the opening ceremony on Saturday will officially mark the start of the 19th Asian Games. The opening ceremony has been primarily divided into three components, namely the artistic program, athlete parade of all participating nations, and the ceremonial lighting of the flame.
Here's All You Need To Know About 19th Asian Games Opening Ceremony
The captain of the men's hockey team, Harmanpreet Singh, and star boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flagbearers for India at the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony.
Xi Jinping, the President of China, will be the chief guest at theopening ceremony while top diplomats from South Korea, Malaysia among other nations will also be in attendance.
Anurag Thakur, India's Union Sports Minister, declined the invitation after three Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh were not granted visa by China.
The artistic programme, which will take place before the athletes' parade, will be largely about fusion of cutting-edge technology and cultural elements.
"The opening ceremony will also ingeniously intertwine the elements of musical theater and traditional Chinese Yue opera, seamlessly blending Eastern aesthetics with Western art," Sha Xiaolan, chief director for the opening ceremony of Hangzhou Asian Games, said during a press briefing.
"Furthermore, a carefully curated selection of representative folk songs, dances, operas and intangible cultural heritage projects from 11 different cities in Zhejiang Province will be showcased as prelude performances, adding to the charm and excitement of the event," he added.
The entire event will be put into place by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and eco-friendly technology.
Furthermore, the opening ceremony will see a digital torch lighting ceremony, with the secret method being revealed beforehand.