ASIAN GAMES/Taiwan's Huang, Zhang carry flag at Asian Games opening ceremony

Nagoya, Sept. 19 (CNA) Three-time world boxing champion Huang Hsiao-wen (黃筱雯) and wushu athlete Zhang Huan-yi (張煥宜) carried the flag for Taiwan at the Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, leading a delegation competing under the name "Chinese Taipei."

The delegation entered Paloma Mizuho Stadium 36th in the parade of athletes, in the "T" section, following Syria and preceding Tajikistan.

A total of 110 delegation members, including athletes and coaching staff, took part in the ceremony. In total, 482 Taiwanese athletes will compete in 34 sports.

Huang, who was taking part in an Asian Games opening ceremony for the first time, said beforehand that she was surprised to be chosen as a flag bearer, having never expected to take on the role.

She said she had looked up how other flag bearers had performed their duties and hoped to carry out the role alongside Zhang, adding that she would "try to keep smiling" throughout the ceremony.

Earlier Saturday, Zhang said he was surprised when first asked whether he would be willing to serve as a flag bearer and wondered why he had been entrusted with such an important responsibility.

He said he was still a little anxious and hoped to carry out his flag-bearing duties well.

Zhang won a bronze medal in the men's under-70-kg wushu sanda event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The opening ceremony marked the official start of the Asian Games. Its theme, "Harmonic Heart Beat," highlighted connections among athletes across Asia through sport.

Japanese filmmaker Yukihiko Tsutsumi, whose directing credits include "The Kindaichi Case Files" and "Ikebukuro West Gate Park," served as the ceremony's chief director.

The games will take place at venues across Japan, mostly in Aichi Prefecture and its capital, Nagoya, with some events also taking place in Tokyo and other parts of the country.