Chinese delegation: Qin Haiyang and Yang Liwei deserve to be flag bearers
On the 22nd, Zhang Xin, Secretary General of the Chinese Sports Delegation, stated that Qin Haiyang and Yang Liwei are well deserved to serve as the flag bearers of the Chinese Sports Delegation at the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games. The sports performance and spiritual demeanor of the two individuals have led the Youth League to have a relatively unified opinion when studying the selection of flag bearer candidates.
Zhang Xin revealed in an interview with reporters that the reason for choosing swimmer Qin Haiyang as the male flag bearer is that firstly, swimming is a fundamental sport with great social influence, and swimming itself is also one of the most popular competitions in previous Asian Games. In addition, 24-year-old Qin Haiyang achieved excellent results at this year's Fukuoka Swimming World Championships, winning three gold medals in the men's 50, 100, and 200 meter breaststroke, becoming the first swimmer in history to win all three gold medals in a single event at the same World Championships.
As for why basketball player Yang Liwei was chosen as the female flag bearer, Zhang Xin said that the Chinese women's basketball team has outstanding performance and good mental demeanor in China's three major sports. They came to Hangzhou with the titles of runner up in the 2022 Women's Basketball World Cup and champion of the 2023 Women's Basketball Asian Cup, currently ranking second in the world. Zhang Xin said, "As the captain of the Chinese women's basketball team, Yang Liwei represents the entire team."
In order to embody the principle of gender equality, the Asian Olympic Council has decided that starting from the Hangzhou Asian Games, the flag bearer of the opening ceremony delegation will be jointly held by a man and a woman. Zhang Xin stated that when the Youth League carefully studied the candidates for flag bearers and selected Qin Haiyang and Yang Liwei, "everyone's opinions were relatively unified.".
As for how Qin Haiyang and Yang Liwei will jointly raise the flag at the opening ceremony on the 23rd, Zhang Xin smiled and said, "Let's leave a suspense for this!"
Looking ahead to the performance of the Chinese sports delegation at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Zhang Xin stated that if we only look at sports performance, China is confident in continuing to hold the top spot in the gold medal table at the Asian Games. Zhang Xin said, "Comprehensive sports events are different from individual events, and the value of training the team is greater." Therefore, considering the preparation for next year's Paris Olympics, the national team should have a good performance in key Olympic events at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
He also pointed out that table tennis, badminton and other events on the Hangzhou Asian Games are the highest level of competition in the world, and the level of competition is no less intense than the Olympics. He gave an example that the South Korean team sent their main players to participate in this badminton event, and the level of Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia teams was also very high. "The Chinese badminton team has made sufficient preparations for difficulties," Zhang Xin said.
In addition, Zhang Xin frankly stated that the "three major balls" of football, basketball, and volleyball should also have good performances at the Hangzhou Asian Games, to boost morale and confidence for the revitalization of the "three major balls". The national teams of emerging projects such as rock climbing, skateboarding, and breakdancing also strive to make a difference in Hangzhou.
"I hope Chinese athletes can showcase a good spiritual and sports ethics in Hangzhou, promote the Olympic spirit and Chinese sports spirit," said Zhang Xin.
The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, less than 10 months after the Hangzhou Asian Games.
