Lots of dignitaries but no real fireworks only electronic flash as Asian Games open

HANGZHOU, China, Sept 23, (Agencies): Sheikh Fahd Al-Nasser, President of the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee, affirmed that the attendance of His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, at the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games, upon the invitation of the Chinese President, underscores the strong bilateral relations between the two nations.

Sheikh Al-Nasser regarded this invitation as a “highly commendable initiative,” particularly given that the Crown Prince is the sole leader from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to attend the opening ceremony, signifying China’s keen interest in its ties with Kuwait. He emphasized the significance of the Crown Prince’s meeting with Kuwaiti athletes, which provided them with substantial motivation and moral support ahead of the commencement of the competitions.

Sheikh Al-Nasser relayed that during his meeting with the athletes, the Crown Prince underscored their role as “ambassadors of Kuwait in the sporting arena” and stressed the importance of representing Kuwait in the best possible manner. He also highlighted that the Crown Prince’s presence at the opening ceremony is a source of pride for the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee and the athletes, who proudly carry the flags of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee.

Regarding the preparations of the Kuwaiti sports delegation, Sheikh Fahd Al-Nasser mentioned that the Asian Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, they diligently prepared the athletes through external training camps in anticipation of the tournament, wishing them success. He further added that Kuwait is participating in team sports such as football and handball, as well as numerous individual sports, expressing his confidence in the athletes’ abilities to achieve significant accomplishments.

On a separate note, Sheikh Fahd Al-Nasser, President of the Kuwaiti Olympic Committee, along with the committee’s board members, Sheikh Jaber Thamer Al-Sabah, Assistant Secretary-General Ali Al-Murri, Mission Director Fatima Hayat, and the administrative, technical, and player delegation, paid a visit to the sports village in Hangzhou City. During the visit, Al-Nasser inspected the preparations of the national teams before the competitions began, offering support to the athletes and motivating them to deliver their best performances at the Asian Games.

He also closely monitored the administrative and technical preparations of the Kuwaiti delegation. Abdul Kareem Al-Shamlan, President of the Kuwait Fencing Federation, shared that the fencing team had the privilege of meeting with the Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad. He described this meeting as a historic moment at the 19th Asian Games, as it boosted the morale of the Kuwaiti delegation significantly, alleviating their pre-competition nervousness and pressure. Al-Shamlan detailed that the official training of the fencing team commenced at the Hangzhou Dianzi University Sports Hall in Hangzhou, China.

The coaching staff, including Luigi Taratello, Saud Al-Zamil, Baba Khsoum Thouri, and the players, namely Ali Abbas, Mohammed Abdul Kareem, Ali Al-Nukhas, Abdul Rahman Al-Mani, Ali Rustom, Youssef Al-Shamlan, Abdul Aziz Al-Shatii, and Ali Nassar, have been preparing diligently. Notably, the fencing competitions will begin at 4 AM, featuring Ali Abbas and Ali Nassar competing in the individual foil category. Faisal Saywan, the Director of National Teams at the Kuwait Handball Association, emphasized that the meeting with the Crown Prince had a positive impact on the players’ morale.

It significantly boosted their psychological readiness for the tournament, and Saywan expressed optimism about the players achieving positive results during their participation in the Asian Games Saywan explained that daily training sessions were conducted in the morning and evening, focusing on strength and technical exercises in the sports hall. He underscored the dedication of all players to their training, as they are determined to achieve positive results and qualify for the next round. The opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event. Dignitaries greeted General Secretary Xi Jinping, fans packed the 80,000-seat Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou to capacity, and many of the 12,417 participants from 45 nations and territories paraded to officially open the two-week show. By comparison, next year’s Paris Olympics will field about 10,500 competitors.

One big thing, however, was missing: real fireworks, the exploding kind that smelled of power and burnt fuses. Instead, the high-tech games - billed of course as “green games” - offered electronic flash, three-D animations, and a virtual torchbearer. Xi was greeted by wild cheers when he appeared, and fans were handed LED star lights, adding sparkle to the stands when the lights dimmed and eight well-polished soldiers arrived carrying the national flag above their heads. The loudest cheers were for the Chinese delegation, but Taiwan, North Korea and Hong Kong were also welcomed warmly. There were no audible jeers for any delegation.

Delayed for a year by the pandemic, the Asian Games are China’s largest sports event since the country scrapped its zero-COVID policy early in the year. Among the dignitaries on hand were Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who left behind his war-torn country, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia. Bach is in a political tussle over the governance of the Olympic Council of Asia and is also believed to be lobbying Xi against supporting any breakaway multi-sport games sought by Russian President Vladimir Putin with Russia likely being banned next year in Paris.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics were held in a COVID bubble. The 2008 Summer Olympics marked China’s rise as a world power. These games serve as a promotional event for Hangzhou, the eastern metropolis of 8 million that seeks a larger stage, partly lost in the shadow of nearby Shanghai. “Through the window of Hangzhou Asian Games, people around the world will see a trustable, loveable, and respectable China in its new era,” Xinhua, the official news agency, said in an editorial, echoing Xi’s call to tell China’s story.

The sluggish economy and high youth unemployment have some residents grumbling that the money could be better spent, prompting city officials to reassure the public that it would be a “frugal” event. Revenues from donations and the private sector were estimated to reach hundreds of millions of dollars by March, while the expenditures were estimated to have exceeded $30 billion as the city built 56 sports facilities, 30 training sites, five villages for athletes as well as major infrastructure investments.