FIRST GOLD. Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping of China (left) celebrate after the women's lightweight double sculls final of rowing at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday (Sept. 24, 2023). Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping claimed the first gold medal of the 19th Asian Games. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)
HANGZHOU – Chinese rowers grabbed the Hangzhou Asian Games opening gold in women's light-weight double sculls here on Sunday morning.
Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping, who finished sixth at the 2023 World Championships just weeks ago, won with a comfortable lead in seven minute and 6.78 seconds at the Fuyang Water Sports Center.
Uzbekistan rowers Luizakhon Islomova and Malika Tagmatova took the silver in 7:16.49 and Chelsea Corputty and Mutiara Rahma Putri of Indonesia settled for bronze (7:17.64).
The rowing competition of the Hangzhou Asian Games consists of 14 events, seven men's and seven women's apiece.
China, who claimed nine gold and one silver medals in the last Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, has sent 37 rowers this time, including 13 Tokyo Olympians.
Opportunity to face challenges
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the Asian Games open, saying the quadrennial sports meet embodies the region’s people’s shared desire for peace, unity and inclusiveness.
“As humanity faces unprecedented global challenges, Asian people should seize the historic opportunity and jointly stand up to the challenges so as to open up broader prospects for the Asian road toward common development, openness and integration,” he said in his speech during the opening ceremony at the lotus-shaped Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
Xi stressed the efforts to promote inclusiveness through sports, enhance confidence in Asian civilizations, pursue exchanges and mutual learning, and renew the glory of Asian civilizations.
Nearly 12,000 athletes from all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia will participate in 56 sports disciplines with 481 gold medals up for grab up to October 8.
At Saturday's banquet, Xi said the cauldron for the Asian Games will light up again in China on the Autumn Equinox, a day symbolizing harvest and reunion in Chinese culture.
He said China has earnestly fulfilled its commitments and made every effort for the preparation of the Games.
"China will deliver a great event that is distinctly Chinese, uniquely Asian and spectacular," Xi said. (Xinhua)
