Asian Games 2023 Opening Ceremony Highlights: Harmanpreet Singh, Lovlina Borgohain lead Indian contingent out

Hello and welcome to Khel Now's live blog for the Opening Ceremony in Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. Please wait for the blog to load.

The opening ceremony of Hangzhou Asian Games 2023 is scheduled to take place on 23 September at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium. Participants from a total of 45 nations will be actively involved in a comprehensive array of 40 distinct sporting competitions encompassing a remarkable 61 disciplines.

India has dispatched a contingent of 655 athletes who will compete in 40 different sports. This marks the largest delegation ever sent by India to the Asian Games. While Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was India’s flag bearer at the 18th Asian Games held at Jakarta 2018, in this edition hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and world champion boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be flag-bearers for India in the opening ceremony.

In the early stages of Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the Indian contingent has been delivering impressive performances in various disciplines. The Indian men’s volleyball team delivered a fabulous display in their victory over a higher-ranked Chinese Taipei team. They will next meet two-time World Championships winner Japan in the quarterfinals.

Table Tennis also saw impressive performances from both the men’s and women’s teams on September 22 (Friday). The Indian men’s team secured two wins against Singapore and Yemen. They will hope to carry that momentum into Saturday as they face Tajikistan. On the other hand, the Indian women’s team was also excellent as they defeated Singapore by a 3-2 margin in a closely fought contest. Nepal is their next opponent, and the Manika Batra-led team will hope to replicate their display.

Eyes will be on Sailing as well in which several Indian athletes have been competing. In particular, the focus will be on Vishnu Saravan, competing in the men’s dinghy ILCA7, who is presently leading the competition after four races.

September 23 is an important day but one that will not see a huge amount of action. The opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2023 will take place at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium from 5:30 PM IST onwards.

Full schedule of Indian athletes for September 23 in Asian Games 2023

Discipline

Timing: Athletes/Team — (Event/Round)

Table Tennis

7:30 AM IST: India vs. Nepal (Women's Team Preliminary | Group F)

9:30 AM IST: India vs. Tajikistan (Men's Team Preliminary | Group F)

Sailing

8:30 AM: Women's Windsurfing - iQFoil Race

8:30 AM: Men's Skiff - 49er Race

8:30 AM: Mixed Dinghy - 470

8:30 AM: Boy's Dinghy - ILCA4

8:34 AM: Men's Windsurfing - iQFoil

8:40 AM: Women's Skiff - 49erFX

8:40 AM: Girl's Dinghy - ILCA4

11:30 AM: Women's Kite - IKA Formula Kite Race

11:30 AM: Women's Single Dinghy - ILCA6

11:30 AM: Mixed Multihull - Nacra 17

11:30 AM: Men's Windsurfer RS:X

11:34 AM: Men's Kite - IKA Formula Kite

11:40 AM: Men's Dinghy - ILCA7

11:40 AM: Women's Windsurfer RS:X