Sport

China’s Xi opens Hangzhou Asian Games, ceremony dazzles

Published

2 years ago

September 23, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the COVID-delayed 19th Asian Games in the Eastern city of Hangzhou during a spectacular and at times raucous ceremony on Saturday, which organizers hope will lift the mood in a nation struggling with an economic slump.

Spectators in the city’s 80,000-capacity stadium let out a huge roar as Xi was introduced and walked in to sit with visiting dignitaries including International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported.

The Games, delayed a year due to China’s measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, will be the country’s biggest sporting event in over a decade in several metrics, with around 12,000 athletes from 45 nations competing in 40 sports.

After the Chinese flag was brought out, the first team out was Afghanistan, whose female athletes, based abroad due to sport for women being banned by the Taliban, walked together with their male counterparts.

Several teams including Chinese Taipei were vocally welcomed by the spectators, but none more than the home team, whose athletes are expected to dominate the medals table once again.

They also mark a stark contrast to the cheerless Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics which took place under China’s strict zero COVID conditions which lasted for nearly three years from January 2020 until late 2022.

“I feel excited, particularly as a Hangzhou local,” said a man surnamed Zhao on his way into the stadium. “It’s a great chance to show the world how nice our city is… it was also delayed by a year. But that gave us a chance to prepare even better.”

In an often spell-binding ceremony intended to burnish Hangzhou’s status as one of China’s centers of technology and creativity, dozens of balletic dancers hovered above a digitally-projected lake in the wake of a flotilla of sail-boards.

In a modern take on the traditional lighting of the cauldron, a huge, digitally animated torchbearer “ran” the length of the stadium before settling to loom above the actual torch-bearer, China’s Olympic champion swimmer Wang Shun.

In sync, the pair lit a huge, multi-pronged cauldron, prompting another bout of cheering and soon after, a digital firework display.

But many of those not lucky enough to get a ticket grumbled about disruption.

A sizable “traffic control area” around the city’s Olympic stadium was blocked off, at least one metro station was shut and other Games centers were closed and deliveries were disrupted on Saturday.

Some felt the security measures, always tight wherever Xi goes for a visit, were overdone.

“I think it shows they’re too nervous, right?”, said 45-year-old Hangzhou resident Li Jian. “I think we should be a little more confident.”

One local social media user was told due to safety rules surrounding the Games a pencil sharpener they had ordered could not be delivered. “How dangerous is the sharpener?,” the user wrote. “Will I be able to use it to kill foreign country leaders?”

Organizers have not disclosed spending on the Games, though the Hangzhou government has said it spent more than 200 billion yuan ($30 billion) in the five years through 2020 on transport infrastructure, stadiums, accommodation and other facilities.

Organizers hoped a high-tech opening ceremony on Saturday will help drum up excitement for the Games. Interest at home has been muted as the economy sputters and some question the cost of hosting the mega-event.

Dozens of smiling volunteers greeted arriving journalists in Hangzhou this week, with some expressing relief that the event was finally getting started.

The official slogan of the event, “Heart to Heart, @Future”, represents the goal of uniting the people and countries of Asia through these games, officials have said, but geopolitical tensions and rivalries threatened to overshadow that effort this week.

Xi called on the West to lift sanctions on Syria and offered Beijing’s help in rebuilding the war-shattered country on Friday during rare talks with the long-ostracized Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

Also on Friday, India protested over a visa issue that affected three of its athletes at the games, leading India’s sports minister Anurag Thakur to cancel his trip.

Japan’s top government spokesperson said on Tuesday that Tokyo would do its utmost to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in China as the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea has chilled ties.

“We should promote peace through sports, adhere to the principle of goodwill towards neighbors and mutual benefit and… resist the cold war mentality and confrontation between camps,” Xi told dignitaries including Bach and Assad at a banquet before the ceremony on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Related Topics:#AsianGames ArianaNews China featured Hangzhou

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Early medal leaders emerge as Winter Olympics continue in Italy

Published

2 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games continued to build momentum over the weekend as the early medal race took shape and athletes delivered standout performances across venues in northern Italy.

After the first days of competition, Italy, Japan and Norway sit among the early leaders on the medal table, each with three medals apiece, including one gold, one silver and one bronze. Sweden follows with two medals, while Switzerland, Slovenia, Canada and China have each secured one medal so far.

Host nation Italy provided one of the Games’ early highlights with its first gold medal, sparking celebrations among home supporters and boosting confidence as competition intensifies.

Elsewhere, traditional winter sports powerhouses have begun asserting themselves in disciplines including speed skating, alpine skiing and cross-country skiing, while team sports such as curling and ice hockey are settling into early round-robin play.

Attention now turns to Monday’s schedule, which features another full day of competition and several medal events. Athletes are set to compete across alpine skiing, speed skating, luge, cross-country skiing and figure skating, while preliminary and group-stage action continues in curling and ice hockey.

With qualification battles tightening, results on Monday are expected to further reshape the standings.

As the Winter Games move deeper into their opening week, storylines are rapidly emerging around defending champions, rising stars and nations looking to build early momentum in the medal race.

Ariana Television holds the exclusive rights to broadcast Winter Olympic events across Afghanistan, providing live coverage to viewers nationwide throughout the Games.

Fans are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages for updated schedules, programming information, highlights and results as the competition continues in Milan and Cortina.

Sport

Champions League Elite action continues as qualification race tightens

Published

3 hours ago

February 9, 2026

Ariana News

The AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 returns with an action-packed slate of matches today as top Asian clubs continue their battle for qualification in the league stage of the continent’s premier club competition.

With the margin for error narrowing, teams across the region are expected to approach today’s fixtures with urgency as the race toward the knockout rounds intensifies.

Monday’s scheduled matches include:

Al-Wahda vs Al AhliNasaf Qarshi vs Al-ShortaAl Duhail vs SharjahShabab Al-Ahli vs Al Hilal

The fixtures bring together established continental contenders and ambitious challengers, promising a day of tactical contests, attacking football and high-stakes drama as clubs look to strengthen their positions in the standings.

All Champions League Elite matches scheduled for today, February 9, will be broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television, giving fans across Afghanistan and the region full access to Asia’s top club football action.

Fans are encouraged to follow Ariana News and Ariana Television’s social media pages for updated match schedules, kickoff times and programming information, as well as highlights and post-match coverage.

As the road to continental glory continues, today’s Champions League Elite fixtures are expected to deliver another compelling chapter in the 2025/26 season.

Sport

New Zealand cruise past Afghanistan by five wickets in T20 World Cup

Despite the strong batting display, Afghanistan struggled to contain New Zealand’s deep and aggressive batting lineup.

Published

1 day ago

February 8, 2026

Ariana News

New Zealand produced a confident all-round performance to defeat Afghanistan by five wickets, chasing down a target of 183 with 13 balls to spare in their first match of the T20 World Cup in India’s Chennai on Sunday.

Afghanistan, batting first, posted a competitive 182 for 6 from their 20 overs, built around a powerful knock from Gulbadin Naib, who top-scored with 63 off 35 balls. Naib’s innings, laced with clean hitting and smart placement, gave Afghanistan much-needed momentum after a mixed start. Contributions from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (27) and Sediqullah Atal (29) helped steady the innings, while late runs pushed the total beyond the 180 mark.

Despite the strong batting display, Afghanistan struggled to contain New Zealand’s deep and aggressive batting lineup.

New Zealand’s chase was anchored by Tim Seifert, who set the tone at the top with a fluent 65 off 42 balls, attacking both pace and spin with ease. Although early wickets fell, Glenn Phillips swung the match decisively with a blistering 42 off 25 deliveries, keeping the required run rate firmly in check.

The middle order ensured there were no late jitters, with Daryl Mitchell (25 not out) and captain Mitchell Santner (17 not out) calmly guiding the team home in 17.5 overs, finishing at 183 for 5.

Afghanistan’s bowlers found moments of success, particularly Mujeeb Ur Rahman, but were unable to apply sustained pressure as New Zealand consistently found boundaries during key phases of the chase.

Afghanistan will face South Africa in their next match on Wednesday.