The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 gets underway with a spectacular Opening Ceremony at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium or well known as “Big Lotus” on Saturday, 23rd September 2023, with the Malaysian Contingent personifying youthful exuberance led by the two Flagbearers namely Track-Cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom OLY and Sivasangari Subramaniam of Squash.
The Malaysian Contingent, comprised of 51 individuals (23 officials and 28 athletes), was led by the Chef de Mission, Dato’ (Dr.) Chong Kim Fatt alongside his two deputies namely Datuk Mohamad Iruan Zulkefli and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Farrah Hani Imran, the Secretariat Team, the Men’s and Women’s Basketball 3×3 Team and the Women’s Hockey Team.
The Malaysia Contingent appeared stylish in attire that reflected the theme of the 19th Asian Games, “Heart to Heart, @Future” embodying a concept marked by a sense of light and easy, trendy, smart and youthful vigour.
This concept symbolizes the ambition and the determination of the OCM, along with all stakeholders in sports in Malaysia, to foster “Heart to Heart” connections to rejuvenate the “@Future” of the Olympic Movement in Malaysia.
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- The Malaysian Contingent led by Dato’ (Dr.) Chong Kim Fatt marching into the “Big Lotus”.
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- The two Flagbearers of the Malaysian Contingent, Mr. Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom OLY (right) and Ms. Sivasangari Subramaniam (left).
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- The two Flagbearers of the Malaysian Contingent, Mr. Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom OLY (right) and Ms. Sivasangari Subramaniam (left).
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- The Malaysian Contingent led by Dato’ (Dr.) Chong Kim Fatt marching into the “Big Lotus”.
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- President of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Xi Jinping and his spouse, Mdm. Peng Liyuan, were the Guest of Honour at the Opening Ceremony of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.
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- The Opening Ceremony of the 19th Asian Games featured the first ever digital torch-lighting ceremony of the Asian Games. The “digital torchbearer”, representing hundreds of millions of people across Asia, travelled from Qiantang River to the “Big Lotus” to light up the cauldron together with the last physical torchbearer, Mr. Wang Shun OLY, the gold medalist in Swimming Men’ 200m Medley event at the XXXII Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi was born on the 8th of November 1938. After his retirement in 1991, as an Engineer in the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia, Dato’ Sieh chose to continue his involvement, full time, in the field of sports, where his life-long passion was, especially in the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
Born on 21st March 1949, Y.A.M Tunku Tan Sri Imran is the second son of the late Tuanku Jaafar, an elected monarch of the Negeri Sembilan. Tunku Imran was educated in the UK at the King’s School, Canterbury and studied law at Nottingham University before being called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn, London in 1971 and qualifying as a Barrister at Law.