Hangzhou, China, October 8, 2023: After eight years of preparations and 16 days of action-packed competition, the 19th Asian Games came to a close at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on Sunday evening.
The closing ceremony was a mixture of joy and celebration at the friendships made and the sadness of saying “goodbye” to Hangzhou as the 19th Asian Games came to an end.
The Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Raja Randhir Singh, had the distinction of closing the Games. In his speech he said: “You have been the perfect host and the OCA will never forget this Asian Games.”
He thanked the athletes for their performances, the volunteers, whom he described as “wonderful ambassadors for Hangzhou and China”, the spectators for creating a “magical atmosphere” inside the stadiums, the 12,000 media for sending news to all corners of the world, and finally the sponsors and partners for their unwavering support.
“The power of sport and the power of the Asian Games is to unite us all in life,” he added.
“I would like to thank the Chinese government, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the people of Hangzhou and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee for making these Games an unprecedented success. You will always be in our hearts – now and in the future.”
After declaring the 19th Asian Games closed, the flag handover ceremony took place involving Yao Gaoyuan, Mayor of Hangzhou city; Raja Randhir Singh; Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi prefecture; and Hideo Nakata, Deputy Mayor of Nagoya.
There was a double handover, in fact, as the first Asian Games Torch was passed on, followed by the OCA flag.
After the handover, the Japanese flag was raised and the national anthem played, before Nagoya-Aichi put on a charming cultural performance involving ballet dancers, Japanese fans and parasols.
A series of slogans then flashed upon the huge screen, including “Thank you for the wonderful memories”, “Beautiful city, beautiful memory”, “I am leaving my heart in Hangzhou”, “Hangzhou, paradise on earth” and “Together we stand united”.
The star of the opening ceremony on September 23, the giant digital torchbearer, made a return to the proceedings to extinguish the cauldron before striding into the distance, stopping to look back on a couple of occasions.
The President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Gao Zhidan, had welcomed all the guests and spectators to the closing ceremony. He said the “passion and dedication” of the local people in supporting the Asian Games had made a big contribution to the success of the Asiad.
The 20th Asian Games will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026 – just three years away due to the 19th Asian Games being postponed from 2022 by one year.
