11,000 athletes from 45 countries gather as Asian Games open today

The Asian Games, Asia’s biggest multi-sport event, officially gets underway today in Nagoya, Japan. The 20th edition of the continental games will open with a grand ceremony at the historic Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium at 6pm local time. Around 11,000 athletes from 45 countries are taking part in this year’s event.

The nearly two-hour opening ceremony will showcase Japan’s history, heritage and culture. Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, along with other prominent guests from Japan and abroad, are expected to attend.

Guests will be welcomed with traditional Japanese performances, drum shows and various displays of local culture. The ceremony’s central theme, “Harmonic Heart Beat,” symbolises athletes from across Asia coming together through a shared heartbeat.

Shooter Abdullah Hel Baki and karateka Humayra Akter Antara will carry the Bangladesh flag during the opening ceremony’s parade of nations. The Games will be officially declared open with the lighting of the ceremonial cauldron at the conclusion of the ceremony.

As is customary, organisers have kept most details of the opening ceremony under wraps. However, the event is expected to feature colourful performances blending Japanese traditions with modern technology.

A symbolic flame-lighting ceremony will also bring together elements representing the Asian Games held in Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994, the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and the current Aichi-Nagoya Games before the cauldron is lit at the main stadium.

Athletes will compete for medals in 469 events across 43 disciplines. A total of 1,407 medals are up for grabs, while Bangladesh is participating in 22 disciplines.

Although the formal opening ceremony is scheduled for today, competitions involving several Bangladeshi teams have already begun. The women’s cricket and football teams, as well as the men’s hockey team, have taken to the field.

Bangladesh’s women’s cricket team has reached the semifinals, while the women’s football team has endured a difficult start. Heavy defeats against the two Korean teams have left Bangladesh facing a difficult path to the next round.

Cricket remains one of Bangladesh’s major medal hopes at the Asian Games. Bangladesh won gold in cricket at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, and the country is once again looking to cricket, along with shooting and archery, for medals.

Overall, the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games present a major test of both ambition and ability for Bangladesh’s athletes as they seek success on the continental stage.