The largest-ever Asian Winter Games raised their curtain Sunday
evening in Changchun, a northeast city in China.
President Hu Jintao officially opened the largest-ever
Asian Winter Games, which have attracted all 45 members of the
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA)) for the first time in their
21-year-old history. Dignitaries at the opening ceremony included
OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.
North Korea and South Korea marched together under a flag
bearing an image of the Korean peninsula for the second time in the
Asian Winter Games after doing so in Aomori, Japan in 2003.
The Games to be co-hosted by Changchun and other cities in
China's northeast Jilin Province, has attracted a grand total of
816 athletes spanning 26 countries and regions, compared to 741
athletes from 20 members in 2003.
A trio of laser rays flashed across the night-sky, setting the
cauldron ablaze after six athletes set off the triple lasers.
China's first figure skating world champion Chen Lu and
short-track speedskating former Olympic runner-up Li Jiajun were
among the six, including five from Jilin.
China is fielding the biggest delegation of 261, including 81
men and 79 women who will compete in all 47 events during the Jan.
28-Feb. 4 tournament.
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Japan dispatched the second largest delegation with over 110
athletes while South Korea ranks third. Next host Kazakhstan ranked
fourth in the number of delegation members.
However, Japan, who ranked first in the last Games in 2003, is
anticipated to top the medals tally again. China's strong hope is
to overtake South Korea from third to second in the tally,
according to Chinese deputy chef de mission Cui Dalin.
While the local organizers are preparing to cope with a full
Asiad for the first time, China, host to the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing, has cherished a dream stretching beyond Asia -- bringing
the Winter Olympic Games to the most populous country of 1.3
billion people.
Harbin, capital city of China's northeast province of Heilongjiang, made a bid for the 2010 Winter
Olympics. Despite its abrupt failure in the first round bidding
process in 2002, Harbin is determined to make the 2009 Winter World
University Games a success.
"We need organizing experiences for an Olympics, and the World
Universiad will be an important stepstone for our eventual bid for
the Winter Olympics," said Heilongjiang Provincial Sports Bureau
director Zhao Yinggang.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2007)
