Kindergarten basketball players shine at Asian Games opening ceremony

At the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, young basketball players from a kindergarten in Jinyun county, Lishui city, showcased their skills during the warm-up show of the 19th Asian Games' opening ceremony on Sept. 23, Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Young basketball players from a kindergarten in Jinyun county showcase their skills during the warm-up show of the 19th Asian Games' opening ceremony on Sept. 23, Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo/Zhejiang Daily)

These tiny athletes had previously caught attention in February 2023, during the selection process for the warm-up performances of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games in Quzhou city. There, the group of 18 children seamlessly presented a choreographed basketball routine.

Executing a series of complex moves, they blended impressive basketball skills with music, creating a visually captivating spectacle. The performance received high praise from the judges and was unanimously selected to be included in the performance resource pool for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

"After learning they would perform at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, the children trained diligently every day. Their parents were also very supportive," said Zhou Lihua, the kindergarten principal. She added that the children's fantastic performance could not have been achieved without the consistent hard work behind the scenes.

"Since 2021, we have incorporated basketball into early childhood education and formed teams to develop our own basketball routines," Zhou explained. The kindergarten organizes daily basketball activities, igniting the children's interest in the sport.

The children also actively participate in basketball competitions at the county, municipal, and provincial levels, achieving remarkable results.

Zhou expressed her hope that by integrating basketball into teaching, children can learn about, enjoy, and become familiar with the sport, ultimately establishing a foundation for physical fitness and cultivating good habits.