NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) --The Chinese delegation was officially welcomed at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, as athletes and officials gathered at Nagoya Port ahead of the opening ceremony of the continental multi-sport event.
The Team Welcome Ceremony, held at the Fuji no Hiroba Athlete Interaction Area in Garden Pier, featured the introduction of delegations, cultural performances, flag-raising and commemorative gift exchanges.
Chinese women's basketball players Liu Yutong, Tang Ziting, Sun Yu and Jia Saiqi were among those representing the delegation at Thursday's ceremony.
For Liu, the ceremony offered an early taste of the Asian Games experience. She said it was her first time attending such a ceremony and that she was excited about the competition ahead.
"We will give our best, stay fully focused and face every opponent with the best possible mindset," she added.
The Team Welcome Ceremony runs from Wednesday to Friday, with three sessions each day and three to six delegations taking part in each session. The event is designed to formally welcome teams to the Games and bring athletes together ahead of competition.
At the end of Thursday's ceremony, representatives from Team China, Hong Kong and Macao delegations posed for a group photo.
Wong Po Kee, head of the delegation of Hong Kong, China, said the three delegations had developed a close bond through years of traveling around the world for competitions.
This year's Games will coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Wong said the delegation of Hong Kong, China had prepared festive food and activities in advance, adding that the team was accustomed to celebrating traditional festivals away from home while competing overseas.
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will officially open on Saturday and run through Oct. 4. ■
