Hangzhou to mark the 100-day countdown to the Asian Games
To mark the 100-day countdown to the Hangzhou Asian Games on Thursday, a ceremony to receive the Asian Games flame will be held at the Liangzhu Archaeological Site.
The ceremony will unveil the designs of the medals and the theme song. The event at the World Heritage site will be livestreamed on the Hangzhou Asian Games' official channels.
The Games, one of the world's largest multi-sport events, will take place on September 23 and last two weeks. About 10,000 athletes will compete in the games. The Paralympic Games will be held from October 22 to October 28 in Hangzhou.
Zhou Jinqiang, vice chairman of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, deputy director general of the General Administration of Sport of China, and vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, said all 45 Asian Games participating countries and regions have registered for the event. Many of them will be sending their largest-ever delegations, including China's with over 900 competitors.
The "Big Lotus" stadium (right) will serve as the main stadium and athletic venue for the Asian Games, which will take place on September 23 and last two weeks in Hangzhou.
All is ready
The Hangzhou Asian Games will feature 40 sports, 61 disciplines and 483 events. The games will be held in Hangzhou and five other cities in Zhejiang Province, with 56 venues already completed and passing all tests.
With 100 days to go, organizers acknowledged there have been "a lot of difficulties."
The Hangzhou Games were scheduled to take place in September of last year but were postponed by a year due to COVID-19. Many events encountered challenges even during the planning stage.
The Tonglu Equestrian Center will host dressage, obstacle course and triathlon events with athletes and horses from over 20 countries and regions.
"For the equestrian event, we had to not only build a venue, but also establish a disease-free zone, a safe biological passage, and pass certifications from the World Organization for Animal Health and the European Union," said Chen Weiqiang, deputy mayor of Hangzhou and executive secretary-general of the Hangzhou Asian Games and Paralympic Games Organizing Committees.
Foreign technical workers were unable to enter China, and the problems had to be resolved via video calls, Chen said.
The three mascots – Chen Chen, Cong Cong and Lian Lian (from left) will serve as the Games' ambassadors of peace and friendship.
Despite the disruption caused by the epidemic, all 56 competition venues are now ready. A network of 516 kilometers of rail transport and 480km of expressways has been completed ahead of the Games.
Hangzhou has also improved the city's accessibility for people with disabilities by providing amenities such as wheelchair-friendly public bathrooms and subway access points.
After the games, the venues will remain open to the public for leisure events.
