China all set for Asian Games

The 20th Asian Games will officially open in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, with basketball player Hu Mingxuan and boxer Wu Yu set to carry the Chinese flag during the opening ceremony.

The two athletes were named flag bearers for the Chinese delegation on Wednesday, as Team China prepares for the 16-day continental sporting event from Sept 19 to Oct 4.

"I'm very excited to be a flag bearer. I look forward to entering the stadium holding the Chinese flag. Behind me are the expectations of the delegation, the country and the people," Wu told Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

Wu won gold at the 2023 World Boxing Championships, the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Paris Olympics and the 15th National Games, completing a "Grand Slam" across the major competitions.

"Stepping into the ring and fighting for my country is my greatest motivation," Wu said, adding that she hopes to turn the honor of being a flag bearer into motivation for competition.

Wu also said she hoped to set an example for younger members of the national team after gaining experience at major international competitions.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will feature 43 sports and 469 events, bringing together about 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions.

China has sent 815 athletes to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, competing in 38 sports and 369 events. The athletes have an average age of 24, with 548 making their Asian Games debuts.

As a major international multisport event ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Games provide an opportunity for China to test its preparations while giving younger athletes valuable experience at the highest level of Asian competition.

The youngest member of China's delegation is 12-year-old skateboarder Cao Shiqi. Cao, who took up skateboarding at the age of 4, will compete in the women's park event. She won the women's title in the park event at the National Skateboarding Championships in July, and the Asian Games will mark her first competition outside China.

In swimming, 13-year-old Yu Zidi has attracted considerable attention, while 19-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo is set for another major test. Zhang has said that his biggest opponent is always himself.

On the track, 17-year-old sprinter Chen Yujie will also be among the young Chinese athletes to watch. She hopes the Asian Games will help her gain experience before competing against the world's leading sprinters.

In the women's javelin throw, 18-year-old Yan Ziyi is another rising talent. She threw 71.74 meters this year to set an Asian record, leaving her within reach of the world record of 72.28m.

Table tennis will combine Olympic experience with youth. Olympic champions Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu are among the established members of the squad, while the remaining seven players are making their Asian Games debuts.

Sun, competing in her third Asian Games, said she has not set a specific target and will give her best once she steps onto the court. She also called on spectators to watch the competition in a civilized manner.

Lin Shidong, 21, will make his Asian Games debut and compete in four table tennis events — men's team, men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles. He said he felt both excited and under pressure after being selected, while intensive training had helped him prepare for the competition.

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games have also adopted an unusual accommodation arrangement. Instead of a traditional athletes' village, organizers are using hotels, a cruise ship and temporary container-style housing.

China's table tennis team is staying on the cruise ship. Sun said the team would need to pay particular attention to travel times between its accommodation and competition venues.

"It is my first time staying on a cruise ship, so the whole experience feels quite fresh," she said.