Asian Para Games officially opens in Hangzhou

China's para swimmer Xu Jialing lights the cauldron with an intelligent bionic arm at the opening ceremony of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province on Oct. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

The 4th Asian Para Games officially opened on Sunday night, with nearly 3,100 athletes from 44 countries and regions taking part in 564 events across 22 sports at the Games which will run through October 28.

HANGZHOU, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two weeks after the close of the 19th Asian Games, the lotus-shaped Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium was filled with the spirit of competition and dreams of victory again as the 4th Asian Para Games opened on Sunday night.

China's Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang declared the Asian Para Games open, as the event returns to China for the second time following the inaugural edition in Guangzhou in 2010.

Under the theme of "Hearts Meet, Dreams Shine", the opening ceremony reached its pinnacle when China's para swimmer Xu Jialing, who clinched seven golds at the Jakarta Asian Para Games in 2018, lit the cauldron with an intelligent bionic arm, emphasizing that technologies can help realize dreams.

A digital "Divine Bird" from the local Liangzhu Culture flew in towards the sacred flame and hovered while the cauldron was lit, and eventually turned into the mascot of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games "Fei Fei".

Ignited in Guangzhou, the Asian Para Games flame made its way into the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium following a three-day torch relay in Hangzhou, which concluded on Saturday and involved 600 torchbearers including 188 persons with disabilities.

Xu was one of the six athletes relaying the flame in the stadium, joined by five other Paralympic champions: athletics' Zhou Guohua, sitting volleyball's Zheng Xiongying, high jump's Hou Bin, swimming's Du Jianping and wheelchair curling's Wang Haitao.

An important element in Chinese culture and the city flower of Hangzhou, the osmanthus served as a thread running through the opening ceremony, with a golden osmanthus flower epitomizing the charm of Hangzhou, a golden osmanthus crown celebrating hard work and achievement, and a golden osmanthus tree showing the vitality of life.

China's delegation parades into the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Asian Para Games. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen)

Afghanistan led the parade of athletes as delegations entered in alphabetical order based on their national or regional Paralympic Committee names. Wheelchair basketball player Huang Xiaolian and wheelchair fencer Sun Gang held China's national flag together when the Chinese delegation entered onto the stage last.

Wang Hao, president of the 4th Asian Para Games Hangzhou Organizing Committee (HAPGOC) and governor of Zhejiang Province, extended his warmest welcome to all attendees, adding that the goal has been to hold an Asian Games and an Asian Para Games that are equally spectacular.

"Zhejiang Province is working to become a demonstration zone for achieving common prosperity, where every person has the opportunity to shine and realize his or her dream. 'Hearts Meet, Dreams Shine' is not only the slogan of this Asian Para Games, but also our shared aspiration," he noted.

Majid Rashed, president of the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC), expressed his gratitude to the para athletes in his address.

"Through your performances, your skill, your strength, your passion, you are showing the world that there is no limit to what can be achieved with determination and courage.

"And this will inspire more young people with impairments to follow in your footsteps and encourage governments to increase their support for people with disabilities.

Asian Paralympic Committee president Majid Rashed gives a speech during the opening ceremony of the Asian Para Games. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

"This is the power of the Paralympic Movement and you athletes are at the very heart of it, and here in Hangzhou is the stage, where you can showcase your amazing talents," he added. "And what a stage Hangzhou is!"

"The huge efforts of the Chinese government and HAPGOC in making these Games a success, is helping us get closer to achieving our vision of creating an inclusive Asia through sport."

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons also attended the opening ceremony.

Nearly 3,100 athletes from 44 countries and regions will take part in 564 events across 22 sports at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, which runs through October 28.

Along with some 2,090 delegation officials, 1,550 technical officials and 3,090 media personnel, the Hangzhou Asian Para Games sets a new record in terms of the number of participants.

China has announced a delegation of 723 members, including 439 athletes who will compete in 397 events of 22 sports.

With an average age of 26.5 years old, China's para athletes are eyeing to keep the leading position again in Hangzhou following their overall success in the previous three editions.