S Kannan in Hangzhou
Opening ceremonies at multi-discipline sporting events are all about capturing the ethos and culture of the country. China takes pride in anything and everything it does. Many may associate China with just gadgets, gizmos and glitz, but there is also the human element and a humane touch.
That was what one got to see at the Hangzhou Asian Games opening ceremony on Saturday night. What a stark comparison it was. When Beijing hosted the Olympics’ opening ceremony on August 8, 2008, at 8:08pm, there was suspense. After all, the western world had serious doubts about China’s ability to host a mega Games. That was jealousy. If Beijing was about high voltage, laser, and loud phao drums piercing your ears, there was also something they did just to keep the rains away. They fired missiles into the air to ensure that it did not rain.
Fifteen years hence, rain was the least of China’s worries as Hangzhou, despite being rain-drenched for the past three days, came up with an encore. Rain, cold – nothing could dampen the spirit of the Chinese, who had worked hard to put on a show worth its weight in gold.
I have been privileged to watch a multitude of sporting events, from the Sydney Olympics in 2000 to a few more in Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro. Likewise, when China last hosted the Asian Games in 2010 in Guangzhou, it was high-decibel and the laser show put on was mind-blowing.
There have been many Winter Olympics and Asian Games held in between as well, with Incheon in South Korea the host in 2014, and Jakarta and Palembang co-hosts in Indonesia in 2018. For Hangzhou to attract attention, arouse interest and instil desire has been fantastic. Why? This country saw the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic hit the nation. Lives were lost and the lockdowns were harsh. To come up with such infrastructure and get the public involved in hosting an Asian Games with such precision on the opening night was a tribute to their resilience.
There are many who are caustic in their criticism of China, for several reasons – political, in relation to human rights and so on. When it comes to sport and hosting an event like the Asian Games, they take it upon themselves to invest billions, even if that sounds crazy from a commercial perspective. Behind all this is the human element at play, since this is not about ArtificiaI Intelligence (AI). Yes, Hangzhou set a new record of sorts by using a digital method to light the cauldron. Before that, even for their torch relay run, they had used block-chain technology.
Such involvement of the masses and technology has been unique. It just goes to show why there is a bit of China in all our lives. Be it laptops, mobile phones or any electronic gadgets, China makes its presence felt. It is there in every nook and corner of the world, India included.
This time, China showed that despite facing hardships of an extreme nature from the Covid virus, they had not lost the will to excel as organisers. This just showed how many people had slogged behind the scenes, tirelessly. On a scale of 1 to 10, the opening ceremony on Saturday scores an 8, much higher than what you would watch at most Olympics.
After all, most host cities of the Olympic Games have budget caps and other factors to contend with. No, not China, where Hangzhou is reported to have spent nearly $300 billion on infrastructure of all sorts, stadia included. They will use these venues and there will hopefully be a legacy value.
Xi Jinping, the leader of China, was in attendance at the opening ceremony. He has taken a personal interest in these Asian Games. There may have been traffic restrictions around the main stadium area, which is natural. If the message from China to the world was that they are once again ready to host mega sports shows, they did a great job of it.
Precision and purpose are their hallmarks, where the human element is also present. Perhaps that is why when hundreds of thousands of Chinese join hands to put on the best show, it is invariably a super hit. Certainly, in Asia, they are the most lavish hosts. No country can match them. If China needed affirmation, post-Covid, that they were ready to roar, Hangzhou passed the test with flying colours. Perhaps, that was why the Rain Gods had shed tears two days in advance. The emotions which people had faced over the past three years were unthinkable.
Sport is that magic balm that heals even deep wounds. One could feel that in Hangzhou.