The 19th Asian Games closed in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on Sunday under the theme of “Enduring Memories of Hangzhou” for the closing ceremony, highlighting the power and unity of sports and the Asian Games.
Over the past 16 days, around 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions shared unforgettable moments in Hangzhou, marking the third time that China has hosted the continental multi-sports event, following Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) acting president Raja Randhir Singh attended the closing ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium.
Singh declared the Games closed, praising the organizers as “the perfect host that the OCA will never forget.”
With the OCA flag lowered and the OCA anthem played, Hangzhou mayor Yao Gaoyuan handed the flag to Singh, who entrusted the flag to Hideaki Omura, governor of Aichi prefecture, and Hideo Nakata, deputy mayor of Nagoya, the host city of the 2026 Asian Games.
Echoing with the opening ceremony where a digital torchbearer lit the cauldron together with swimming Olympic champion Wang Shun, the digital torchbearer returned for the closing ceremony.
Following the extinguishing of the cauldron, the digital torchbearer stepped out and transformed into starlight filling up the night sky, passing on the flame of sports and the spirit of the Asian Games.
(Source: Reuters)
