Hangzhou, China, September 12, 2023: Hosts China will field a powerful squad of 886 athletes at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou which will commence next Saturday, September 23.
The Chinese delegation for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang Province in eastern China, was officially announced on Tuesday, September 12, boasting 1,329 members, including 886 athletes.
There will be 449 male athletes and 437 female athletes who will compete in all 40 sports alongside teams from 44 other National Olympic Committees across Asia.
The Chinese athletes, with an average age of 25 years, include 36 Olympics champions.
The 19th Asian Games is set to be the largest edition ever, with almost 12,500 athletes from 45 countries and regions competing in 40 sports, 61 disciplines and 481 events.
Chinese athletes have dominated the Asian Games since finishing at the top of the medals standings at the 1982 New Delhi Games when they won a total of 153 medals, including 61 gold medals.
At the last Asian Games, in 2018 in Jakarta and Palembang, China topped the medals standings for the 10th consecutive time, winning 289 medals overall, including 132 gold medals.
China first participated at the Asian Games in 1974 Tehran when they finished third in the standings.
Chinese athletes have dominated various sports at the Asian Games with shooting being top of the list – winning a total of 410 medals including 205 golds, 125 silver and 80 bronze medals.
Other sports where they have ruled imperiously are athletics (462 medals, 180 gold medals), swimming (404, 165), and gymnastics (273,142).
Chinese athletes have always dominated table tennis too. And for the all-conquering squad who grabbed five golds at the 2018 Asian Games, the upcoming Games will be their last comprehensive event before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
