Asian Games open in Japan: Uzbekistan will participate with nearly 400 athletes
Asia's largest sports competition has started in the Japanese city of Nagoya. Over the next 16 days, around 11,000 athletes will compete for 469 sets of medals, among whom are 396 representatives of Uzbekistan.
The Asian Games have begun in Japan: Uzbekistan will participate with nearly 400 athletes
On September 19, the XX Summer Asian Games officially opened in Nagoya, Japan. Over the next 16 days, until October 4, nearly 11,000 athletes will compete for 469 sets of medals in 43 sports. For Japan, this is the third Asian Games after Tokyo (1958) and Hiroshima (1994). The country last hosted this competition 32 years ago.
The ceremony took place at the Mizuho Park (Paloma Mizuho) stadium and lasted about two hours. As Reuters reports, the opening minutes were quiet, but then the show turned into a celebration of light, music, and dance. While the Tokyo Olympics five years ago were held in front of empty stands due to the pandemic, this time the stadium was filled with spectators.
Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open. Together with IOC President Kirsty Coventry, he watched the parade of 45 countries and regions.
The theme of the show was named "Heartbeat". Performers in red and white costumes formed the word "Welcome", while violinist Taro Hakase performed live.
The climax was the lighting of the torch: five-time Asian Games winner, former hammer thrower Shigenobu Murofushi, and his son, the 2004 Olympic champion Koji, climbed the stairs to it. Before this, the torch relay had passed through 40 municipalities of Aichi Prefecture and 16 districts of Nagoya.
The preparation process was not without criticism. Instead of a separate Olympic village, athletes were accommodated in hotels, temporary wooden containers, and a cruise ship in the bay. The organizers explained this as a cost-saving measure. Delegations, including the Japanese delegation, complained of confusion and double-booking cases. The South Korean team called the containers at the Garden Pier port too cramped for basketball players. Another unpleasant incident occurred on September 8: record rainfall flooded part of the city, and several hundred athletes were evacuated from temporary buildings. According to reports, there were no serious casualties.