Team members during the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese delegation for the Asian Games in Beijing, China, September 12, 2023. /CFP
China is set to field the country's second-largest contingent of athletes ever when it hosts the forthcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.
The team boasts an impressive total of 886 athletes, including 437 female athletes and 449 male competitors. These athletes exhibit a wide range of ages, from the talented 13-year-old skateboarder, Cui Chenxi, to the experienced 60-year-old bridge player, Dai Jianming.
The delegation members have an average age of 25, with 36 Olympic champions among them. Notably, there are 630 individuals who will be participating in the showpiece event for the very first time.
The Chinese contingent for the Hangzhou Asian Games fell short of surpassing the record set by the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Back then, the Chinese delegation boasted a staggering 977 athletes, making it the largest delegation in the history of the Asian Games in terms of scale.
Scheduled to commence on September 23, the 19th Asian Games is poised to become the grandest edition to date. It will witness an extraordinary participation of 12,500 athletes hailing from 45 countries and regions, all vying for glory across 40 sports, 61 disciplines and an impressive 481 events.
Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport, speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Chinese delegation for the Asian Games in Beijing, China, September 12, 2023. /CFP
China anticipates a significant accumulation of gold medals in their customary strongholds of table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting and diving. "Our primary objective is to unleash our true competitive potential and strive for exceptional achievements," said Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport.
"We aim to secure the top position in both the gold medal tally and the overall medal count. Furthermore, our aim is to comprehensively train our team for the upcoming Paris Olympics, while simultaneously gaining invaluable experience to aid our preparations for the event."
"We also strive to excel as the host nation and foster broad and amicable exchanges," Gao added. "Through this, we will showcase China's achievements in reform, economic growth and social advancement to both the Asian region and the global community.
"By doing so, we aspire to contribute to the establishment of an Asian community with a shared future and ensure a successful Asian Games."