(2nd LD) (Asiad) Competition begins with celebration of host city's hospitality, harmony in Asia
NAGOYA/TOKYO, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- The 20th edition of the Asian Games opened wi...
The 20th Asian Games commenced in Nagoya on Saturday, honoring the city's reputation for warm hospitality. More than 45,000 athletes from 45 countries participated in the continent's largest sports event, officially named the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. This marks the third time Japan has hosted the Asian Games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. Swimming events will take place in Tokyo, while football matches will be held in Osaka and Shizuoka.
The opening ceremony, themed "Harmonic Heart Beat," was directed by Nagoya-born filmmaker Yukihiko Tsutsumi. It underscored the spirit of unity and collaboration among athletes from diverse nations. The ceremony featured a large heart-shaped stage and had athletes march in alphabetical order. South Korea, competing in 41 of the 43 sports, was the 16th nation to enter, just behind Kazakhstan and ahead of Kuwait.
South Korea is expected to secure around 45 gold medals, aiming to close the gap with Japan, who won 52 gold medals in the 2023 Games. China is anticipated to dominate the competition again. In modern pentathlon, South Korean athletes Jun Woong-tae and Seong Seung-min are strong medal contenders in the men's and women's events. Lee Jun-suk, competing in men's singles table tennis, reached the final of the event at the 2023 Games.
The swimming competition will begin in Tokyo on Sunday, with South Korea's Hwang Sun-woo and Kim Young-beom starting in the men's 100-meter freestyle.
Written by urgent.news from Yonhap News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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