Draw the trajectory of the vigorous development of Chinese sports, including the three Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Asian Games

Hangzhou is ready

Guangming Daily reporter Wang Dong

As the opening date of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou approaches, the ancient city of Hangzhou on the banks of the Qiantang River is showcasing itself to Asia and the world with a brand new look. Athletes from various countries and regions in Asia will embark on an unforgettable journey here with passion, confidence, and hope.

The Asian Games is also a cultural event, and when the competition on the field is frozen, the cultural charm and exciting moments contained in the Asian Games are equally brilliant. From the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, to the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, and then to the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, the Asian Games visited China three times and formed an inseparable bond with China. The stories of the Asian Games are worth pondering and reminiscing about.

one

72 years ago, when the first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India in 1951, the struggling New China was unable to form a decent delegation. As time entered the 1970s, Chinese athletes finally stood on the stage of the Asian Games with their heads and chests held high.

In 1974, in Tehran, Iran, Chinese shooter Su Zhibo wrote a new history for China at the Asian Games with his last shot - the first gold medal of the Asian Games. At that Asian Games, the Chinese army won 33 gold medals, sending a strong signal to the world that a sports powerhouse is about to rise.

In the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, the total number of gold medals won by the Chinese team increased to 51. Chinese sports have embarked on a journey of breaking out of Asia and entering the world, rapidly growing into an important force in the international sports scene.

The 1982 New Delhi Games was another milestone in the history of Chinese sports. That year, the Chinese team surpassed the Japanese team, which had dominated the Asian Games gold medal table for the first time, and took the top spot. The pattern of Asian sports has been reshaped since then, and China has begun to lead the way in the Asian Games.

At the subsequent 1986 Seoul Asian Games, the South Korean team competed fiercely with the Chinese team in the gold medal standings. It was not until the last day that the Chinese athletics team took the lead in the men's 4x100 meter race, allowing the Chinese team to surpass the South Korean team with 94 gold medals and 93.

From officially participating in the competition to reaching the pinnacle of Asia, the Chinese team not only maintained the first gold medal at the Asian Games for 10 consecutive times, but also left the former Asian sports powerhouse Japan behind. It is through the Asian Games that Chinese people gradually feel the charm of competitive sports and realize the principle that strong national sports make sports strong.

two

"In Asia, the mountains are the towering heads; in Asia, the rivers are like the flowing blood..." 33 years ago, the penetrating song of "Asian Heroes" sounded at the Beijing Workers' Stadium, and the 11th Asian Games in Beijing kicked off with widespread attention.

Until today, "Asian Heroes" can still evoke the strongest memories of the Asian Games among Chinese people - it was the first international comprehensive sports event that Chinese people welcomed at their doorstep.

The mascot of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, "Bing Dwen Dwen", was once the "top stream", just like the "Panpan". During the 11th Asian Games in Beijing, the mascot "Panpan" holding a gold medal in a running shape covered almost every corner of people's daily lives. In many cities back then, one could see this giant panda holding a gold medal in its left hand and praising it in its right hand, and even many children's dream was to go to Beijing to watch the Asian Games and take a photo with "Pan Pan". The most vivid image in this memory also includes the Tibetan girl Dawa Yangzong who collected the seeds of the Asian Games torch at the foot of Nianqing Tanggula Mountain, as well as the 1 yuan and 6 jiao donated by the little girl Yan Haixia.

The 11th Asian Games in Beijing is not only an Asian Games, but also a display of national strength and the will of the people. This determination and confidence have also inspired the courage of Chinese athletes. On the arena, they are brave enough to challenge and surpass themselves, creating miracles through hard work. In the end, the Chinese delegation won 183 gold medals. It was not until 20 years later, when China once again became the host country, that this gold medal record was broken.

three

In 2010, the Asian Games returned to China. The city of Guangzhou is hosting this competition.

At that time, the Beijing Olympics had just been successfully held, and Guangzhou would be showcasing to the world what kind of China it was most concerned about.

Chen Weiya, the chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Guangzhou Asian Games, once told reporters that in 2008, the Beijing Olympics launched a painting scroll, showcasing the vast and profound Chinese culture to the world; The 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou set sail on the the Pearl River in eight directions, which shows the Chinese style, and also indicates that China is sailing to the center of the world stage.

The opening ceremony of the Guangzhou Asian Games abandoned the tradition of being held in the stadium and was presented in Haixinsha on the the Pearl River instead. On that brilliant night, the scene of athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions cruising along the the Pearl River in a flower boat into the opening ceremony venue is still fascinating.

At the 11th Asian Games in Beijing, after each competition, it takes 15 minutes from organizing the results to printing the results bulletin in a small printing factory dedicated to the Asian Organizing Committee and publishing it in the news center; In Guangzhou, it only takes less than 10 seconds for the match results to be confirmed by the referee and uploaded to the official website of the Asian Games for global release. A 90 fold increase in speed is a leapfrog development in technology between the two Asian Games.

If the 11th Asian Games in Beijing condensed the image of a developing country courageously advancing in reform and opening up, the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou highlighted a new image of an Eastern power with broad international influence.

four

In 2018, when the 18th Jakarta Asian Games came to an end, the Asian Games officially entered Hangzhou time. After careful preparation, an Asian Games full of four major characteristics of "green, intelligent, frugal, and civilized" is about to be presented to the world.

In the past 49 years, from participating in the competition for the first time to hosting it for the third time, China and the Asian Games have embraced each other and grown together. The trajectory of China's Asian Games highlights the changes in Chinese sports and society.

49 years have passed by, and the arena is still full of passion, but the landscape of Chinese sports has expanded from the arena to a larger field.

The 49 year flame has been spreading, witnessing the profound changes in China's sports philosophy and the diverse exploration of sports values. As the Hangzhou Asian Games are about to kick off, national fitness has become a national strategy. Everywhere in the venue, park, and even at home, there is a vivid portrayal of "Healthy China". At present, the total number of people in China who regularly participate in physical exercise is over 400 million, and a "large group" pattern led by the government, coordinated by multiple departments, and jointly participated by the whole society has begun to take shape.

In the process of deepening reform and comprehensive transformation, China's sports industry is stepping out of the era of competitive sports being unique and onto the track of coordinated development of competitive sports, national fitness, and sports industry. When sports truly begin to play multiple roles in the fields of society, economy, culture, and diplomacy, the dream of becoming a sports powerhouse is merging into the tide of the Chinese Dream.

Guangming Daily

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