HANGZHOU – The Philippines formally joined the 19th Asian Games family on Thursday when the country’s tricolor was finally raised inside the Athletes Village.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, along with several athletes and coaches from the 396-strong Team Philippines delegation, were on hand to witness the short ceremony.
Among those present were representatives from boxing and rowing, as well as Asia’s first ever grandmaster Eugene Torre, representing chess.
Tolentino later exchanged gifts with Hangzhou Mayor Yao Gaoyuan to cap the event that lasted for almost half an hour.
The flag raising ceremony was held on the day a huge delegation of Filipino athletes and coaches began arriving in this Chinese city, the third to host the Asiad in the last three decades after Beijing (1990) and Guangzhou (2010).
Among those who checked were entries in boxing, chess, cycling, fencing, judo, tennis, gymnastics, rugby and swimming.
“This is the start of the warm hosting and showcasing of the Hangzhou Asian Games,” said Tolentino, who was joined by Nikki Cheng, deputy of the ice skating federation and deputy chef de mission.
“We are praying for fair sports and we strongly hope to separate all other issues from the Games,” added the POC chief. “Geopolitics has no place in sports.”
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