KATHMANDU, Sept 22: The 19th Asian Games (Asiad) is taking place at Hangzhou in China from Saturday. More than 12,500 people including organizers, sports committees, athletes and managers would be participating in the Asiad.

The Games would include 481 competitions in 61 categories under 40 games. President of China, Xi Jinping, is scheduled to inaugurate the Asian Games.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will attend the inaugural ceremony during his official visit to China to boost up morale of athletes and to establish Nepal's role in sports diplomacy. 

Presidents, heads of the governments and leaders of different countries including Syria have reached Hangzhou city to participate in the inaugural ceremony. There would be participation of a large number of record holder players in the Asian Games organized under the theme, 'Heart to Heart and Future'. 

The Asiad has become an attractive and prestigious matter for the Asian countries. The Asian Games would also be organized at Hangzhou and its neighboring cities. A total of 45 countries of the world are participating in the Asiad. Two hundred and fifty three athletes, including 126 men and 127 women, from Nepal are competing in 29 games.

In the Asiad, 11 players from Nepal will compete in taekwondo, 22 in football, four in basketball, four in archery, eight in athletics, eight in badminton, 13 in boxing, one in breaking, 15 in cricket, two in cycling and 23 in e-sports.

Likewise, eight sportsperson will vie in karate, six in gulf, 16 in handball, right in judo, 12 in kabbadi, 12 in rugby, 2 in shooting, 6 in squash, four in swimming, six in fencing, six in table tennis, six in tennis, four in triathlon, 24 in volleyball, five in weight lifting and 12 in wushu.

It is for the first time such a record number of Nepali sportspersons are competing in various sports competitions in Asiad. Nepali sportspeople have been delivering their best performances in martial arts such as karate and taekwondo among others.

A total of 162 sportspeople from the departmental team of three security agencies in the country will be competing in the Asiad. Among them, 63 were from Nepali Army, 53 from the Armed Police Force and 46 from Nepal Police.

While some players have reached Hangzhou while some are on their way. Nepal has been performing well in the national and international competitions be it in cricket or any other sports.

Sports is the only genre which provides an opportunity to any participating country to flutter the national flag of the participating country and sing the national song in the well-equipped stadiums of the powerful countries. 

The development of the sports sector has become an important basis for the development of a country since the foundation of mutual cooperation, trust, world unity and reconciliation is established through sports diplomacy.

The government of Nepal is effortful to increase investment in sports sectors, to increase the self-esteem of sportspersons and encourage and reward them for their best performance. The government is also trying to make the role of the State more effective and responsible by contributing more for the development of the sports sector.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, while bidding farewell to the Nepali players competing in the upcoming Asiad, had assured to attach top priority to the development and self-esteem of players.

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