The tenth Asian Video games in Hangzhou got here to an in depth on Sunday. AP
Hangzhou: The Asian Video games closed their 16-day run on Sunday on the 80,000-seat Olympic Sports activities Heart Stadium with host nation China once more in command as Premier Li Qiang ended a present aimed partly at successful the hearts of Asian neighbors.
They’re formally referred to as the Asian Video games, however the extra correct description can be the “China Games,” illustrative of the nation’s four-decade domination of the continental, multi-sports championships.
The nineteenth Asian Video games — they started in 1951 in New Delhi, India — had been a celebration for Hangzhou, a metropolis of 10 million, the headquarters of Alibaba and a sprawling metropolis overshadowed by a good bigger metropolis — neighboring Shanghai.
“We have achieved the goal of a streamlined, safe and spectacular games,” spokesperson Xu Deqing stated on Sunday. State media reported the spending to organize for the video games at roughly $30 billion.
Vinod Kumar Tiwari, the appearing normal secretary of the Olympic Council of Asia, referred to as them “by far the largest ever Asian Games.”
The secretary normal of the organizing committee, Chen Weiqiang, characterised this model of the Asian Video games as a “branding” marketing campaign for Hangzhou.
“The city of Hangzhou has been fundamentally changed,” he stated. “It is fair to say the Asian Games are a key driver for the takeoff of the city.”
These had been larger than any earlier Asian Video games with nearly 12,500 rivals. Subsequent yr’s Paris Olympic can have about 10,500, much like the Asian Video games in 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the forecast for 2026 when the video games transfer to Nagoya, Japan.
One of many few information China didn’t break this time was its total medal haul of 416 when the 2010 Asian Video games passed off within the southern Chinese language metropolis of Guangzhou.
This time, China received 201 gold medals and 383 total. The subsequent two groups — Asian powers Japan and South Korea — had fewer total medals mixed than China. In fact, their mixed inhabitants is about one-eighth of China’s.
Japan received 52 gold, and South Korea 42. Mixed, this was lower than half of China’s gold complete.
Twelve of the 45 nations or territories that entered had 5 medals or fewer and 4 — Bhutan, Maldives, Yemen, and Macao — did not win a single medal.
“How can we rate the performance of the Hangzhou Asian Games?” Wei Jizhong, the 87-year-old vp of the Olympic Council of Asia, requested rhetorically in a information convention.
“We don’t rank Asian Games against others. But in terms of hosting games in China, let’s compare them with ourselves. I will give a 99 score. I always believe there is room for further improvement.”
The video games provided all the standard Olympic sports activities, and likewise a glimpse of 1 sport that’s previewing subsequent yr in Paris — breaking, or breakdancing. And one other, cricket, which can be included in both the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, or in 2032 in Brisbane.
Esports was a official entry for the primary time, and a large favourite. Esports is just not within the Olympics but, however the IOC is making an attempt to determine a solution to capitalize on its mammoth income stream.
The video games showcased so-called “mind sports” like chess and conract bridge, and provided some distinctive entries you received’t see anyplace else in a multi-sports occasion: dragon boat racing, kabaddi, sepaktakraw (foot volleyball), 3×3 basketball, and curler skating.
Yasuhiro Nakamori, the appearing director normal for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Video games, stated Japan would construct solely two new venues, unwilling to splurge because it did for the latest Tokyo Olympics.
Hangzhou is reported to have constructed 56 sports activities services and 30 coaching websites in addition to main infrastructure investments for the video games, which had been delayed a yr by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nakamori stated the Chinese language “hardware was wonderful. We can’t pretend those kind of games. Our concept is to use existing venues.”‘
He stated the 2 new venues that had been being constructed are a stadium and an area. As well as, Nagoya will use the swimming and diving venue in Tokyo constructed for the 2020 Olympics, and can maintain biking and equestrian occasions close to Tokyo.
“That means we have to work on the software and people power,” he added. “For our side it is a disadvantage because we lose one year, especially for the marketing activity.”
Chen, the secretary normal of the native organizing committee, was requested if Hangzhou would think about an Olympic bid.
“The venues are suitable to hold large, multi-sport event like the Olympics,” Chen stated. “After the close of the Asian Games, what we focus on is how the venues can be extensively used by the people. But we haven’t thought about whether we would hold the Olympic Games.”