CHINA on Tuesday announced a delegation of 1,329 members, including 886 athletes, for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. The 19th Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, during which 437 female and 449 male Chinese athletes will compete in 407 events of 38 disciplines. Nineteen athletes from Shenzhen have been selected to take part in the Games. One notable participant is Wang Xinyu, a native of Shenzhen, who recently achieved recognition by winning the women’s doubles title at the French Open in June alongside Hsieh Su-Wei of Chinese Taipei. Additionally, there are other talented athletes from Shenzhen who will be competing in various sports such as swimming, diving, boxing, as well as field and track events. Among the Chinese athletes, who have an average age of 25, 36 are Olympic champions. “I hope that people from all over the world can join us to enjoy Chinese culture in Hangzhou. China’s gymnasts are getting ready to show ourselves on the Asiad stage,” said Zou Jingyuan, an Olympic champion who clinched two gold medals at the Chengdu Universiade in August. China’s Bao Shanju, who won gold in the cycling track women’s team sprint at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, said, “Our team participated in many international events this year to prepare for the Asian Games. We trained hard and felt confident of achieving our best in Hangzhou.” For former Olympic champion Lei Sheng, the journey to Hangzhou will be the second time he takes part in the Asian Games as a fencing coach, after having competed in three previous Asiads. “It is a different mindset as a coach. I need to try my best to help the athletes improve their skills and performances at international events,” Lei said. “The Asian Games is a great opportunity for them to learn from athletes of other countries and gain experience.” (SD-Xinhua) | 