Hangzhou, China, August 18, 2023: The Deputy Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee, Mao Genhong, opened the OCA Asian Games Youth Camp in Hangzhou on Friday, August 18.
The youth camp, which is a joint initiative between HAGOC and the Olympic Council of Asia, has brought together 37 students aged from 12 to 18 from all over China for a three-day camp packed with Asian Games-related activities.
The opening ceremony was held in the auditorium of the new Hangzhou Asian Games Museum in the Hangzhou Olympic Centre.
“First of all, I would like to welcome you all to the OCA Asian Games Youth Camp,” said Mr Mao.
“The organisers have put together a varied and colourful programme over the next three days and I am sure you will learn a lot about the Asian Games and what the Asian Games means to the people of Asia beyond the sports competition.
“This will be the third time for China to host the Asian Games after Beijing 1990 and Guangzhou 2010, and Hangzhou will see a record number of athletes – more than 12,500 – taking part.”
The HAGOC Deputy Secretary General said the 19th Asian Games, which will run from September 23 to October 8, would be a significant milestone in the history of Hangzhou city and Zhejiang province.
Addressing the young students, Mr Mao said: “We believe the OCA Asian Games Youth Camp is a wonderful opportunity for you all to see some of the competition venues and other Games-related infrastructure such as the Athletes’ Village. You are the future of China.”
Following the opening ceremony, the students toured the museum and learned about the history of the Asian Games, the 45 National Olympic Committees belonging to the OCA and the detailed timeline in the organisation of Hangzhou 2022 from the day the city was awarded the Asian Games by the OCA in 2015.
The museum is very modern, fresh and spacious, and is sure to be a highlight for all Asian Games visitors before, during and after the Games.
The opening day continued with an OCA presentation on the structure of the Olympic movement, from the International Olympic Committee to the OCA and the Chinese Olympic Committee.
The students were tested on famous Chinese Olympians such as Li Ning, Lin Dan, Guo Jingjing and Zhang Yufei, and were asked about their favourite athletes from China and overseas.
In an exercise to test their creative skills, the students were asked to think of a catchy slogan and mascot for the next Asian Winter Games to be held in Harbin, northeast China, in 2025.
In the afternoon, the students visited the local HQ of China Mobile, one of the Prestige Partners of the 19th Asian Games, and saw the scale of the operations being undertaken for the Games. They were also given a glimpse of the future and were able to try the latest technology on display.
The first day of the three-day camp ended with a trip to the movies to see the Asian Games-themed “One and Only” based on breakdancing and set in Hangzhou. With breaking making its debut at the 19th Asian Games, the movie certainly set the stage for an exciting and keenly contested competition in Hangzhou.
