Hangzhou, China, September 24, 2023: The Olympic Council of Asia celebrated 110 years of the Asian Games with an enchanting “One Asia” concert at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hangzhou on Sunday night.
The event highlighted the unity in diversity across the Asian continent and featured musical instruments, song and dance which enthralled the audience.
It was a night when the OCA, the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and the representatives of the 45 National Olympic Committees were proud to be Asian and proud of the role the Asian Games has played in bringing the continent together.
The OCA Acting President, Raja Randhir Singh, said: “The Asian Games is not only about sports competition; it is a time to embrace our culture and our heritage.”
Although the first Asian Games was held in New Delhi in 1951, the roots go back much further, to the Far Eastern Championship Games in Manila in 1913 – 110 years ago.
There were also some formal proceedings to the evening, with the OCA Acting President, Chinese Olympic Committee President Gao Zhidan and Harbin Mayor Zhang Qixiang signing the host city contract for Harbin to organize the OCA’s ninth Asian Winter Games in 2025.
Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province in the north east of China and will be hosting the AWG for the second time in history after 1996. Harbin’s bid was approved at the OCA General Assembly in Bangkok on July 8 but the One Asia celebration marked the official contract signing ceremony between the three parties.
The evening also honoured the National Olympic Committees who had staged an Asian Games Fun Run in the build-up to Hangzhou, as part of the OCA’s Asian Games for All campaign, and the sponsors and organisers of HAGOC’s 10 Cities Tour of China, supported by Geely.
One Asia finished with a debut rendition of the theme song “Sending all the love”, created and performed by leading artists from around the continent, as schoolchildren waved flags and sang along at the front of the stage to end the evening on an uplifting and emotional note.
At the gala dinner that followed, ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg spoke highly of the initiatives and efforts of the OCA to promote the Olympic movement and, as a mark of respect and gratitude, presented Raja Randhir with a special trophy of the globe.
