Hangzhou, China, August 19, 2023: Students at the OCA Asian Games Youth Camp had a taste of what’s to come at Hangzhou next month – by having lunch at the Asian Games Athletes’ Village.
On day two of the three-day camp, the 37 students aged from 12 to 18 toured the Asian Games Village which will provide accommodation for over 10,000 athletes and officials.
The tour included a visit to the cafeteria which is already open for workers and volunteers, and the OCA youth camp students could experience a typical meal time, self-service of Chinese dishes on offer.
Later in the day, the students visited the athletes’ dining hall which will serve the village guests during the September 23-October 8 Asian Games.
Although the dining hall is not yet functioning, they could see the wide variety of cuisine that will be available, including sections for East Asia, European and, of course, Chinese food. Pizza Hut and KFC were also represented in the dining hall.
The second day had begun with a visit to the impressive Gongshu Canal Sports Park gymnasium which will host the table tennis and breaking competitions. Table tennis will run from September 22 to October 2 and offer seven gold medals, and the two-day breaking competition will be on October 6-7 with two gold medals.
CCTV joined the tour of the Gongshu Canal Sports Park gymnasium and interviewed a couple of the OCA youth camp students on their impressions of the venue and the preparations for the 19th Asian Games.
Next stop was the 5,000-capacity Gongshu Canal Sports Park stadium which will host the hockey competition – and offer direct qualification to the Paris Olympic Games for the winners of the women’s and men’s competitions. It is nicknamed the Hangzhou Umbrella due to its unique design. Students could also test their hockey skills with a fan-friendly demonstration area in the concourse.
The final stop was the new China Hangzhou Esports Centre, where esports will make its Asian Games debut as an official medal sport and offer seven gold medals.
Following lunch in the Athletes’ Village, the students visited several key areas of the Village, including the team processing centre on arrival, NOC services, the recreation area, the athletes’ dining hall and the volunteer services centre. Nicknamed “Little Lotus”, the 30,000 volunteers have been recruited from 31 universities in Hangzhou and 15 universities from co-host cities. The volunteer slogan is “Friends Unite!”
The tour ended with a visit to the Main Media Centre, comprising the Main Press Centre and International Broadcast Centre. The four exhibition halls will accommodate the MPC, IBC, host broadcaster China Media Group and the “Life” service centre offering refreshments, relaxation areas and other kiosks and services.
