Asian Games 2018: Opening Ceremony Comes to a Close
Catch all the live updates on the Asian Games 2018.
- The 18th Asian Games being hosted in Indonesia has been officially declared open by Joko Widodo
- Young javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra carried India’s flag and lead the contingent at the Asian Games 2018
- For complete coverage of the 2018 Asian Games, click here
Hockey: Men's and Women's Team Will Look For Podium Finish
Defending champion India will look to once again bring home the gold in the men’s category while the women’s team will look to better their bronze-medal performance from Incheon to finish with the yellow metal
The men team will be lead by goalie PR Sreejesh while the women’s team will be lead by Rani Rampal.
Men Team: PR Sreejesh (Captain), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (Vice-Captain), Krishan B Pathak, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Birendra Lakra, Surender Kumar, Rupinder Pal Singh, Amit Rohidas, Manpreet Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Sardar Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, SV Sunil, Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Dilpreet Singh
Women Team: Rani Rampal (Captain), Savita (Vice-Captain), Rajani Etimarpu, Deep Grace Ekka, Sunita Lakra, Deepika, Gurjit Kaur, Reena Khokhar, Namita Toppo, Lilima Minz, Monika, Udita, Nikki Pradhan, Neha Goyal, Vandana Katariya, Lalremsiami, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur
Dipa Karmakar Will Lead The Gold Quest in Gymnastics
Dipa will be looking for a podium finish at Jakarta and will look to continue her good run since Rio 2016.
Women Individual/Team: Dipa Karmakar, Pranati Das, Aruna Reddy, Mandira Chowdhury, Pranati Nayak
Men Individual/Team: Rakesh Patra, Yogeshwar Singh, Gaurav Kumar, Ashish Kumar, Siddharth Verma
Indian Flag Raised at Asian Games Athletes Village Jakarta
The tri-colour was unfurled on Friday, 17 August at the Asian Games athletes Village following a simple flag-hoisting ceremony, attended by India's men's hockey stars and wrestlers.
Since hockey players and wresters were the first ones to land here, only they could attend the ceremony as shuttlers and kabaddi players landed in the Indonesain capital this afternoon via Singapore.
The tennis players, led by coach Zeeshan Ali, headed straight to Palembang from Singapore.
Indian contingent's Chef de mission (CDM) Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan and two deputy CDMs were also present during the occasion.
The officials from the organising committee greeted the officials and wished luck to the Indian athletes.
Asian Games Opening Ceremony to Commence Shortly
The opening ceremony of Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta will start at 5:30 pm IST on Saturday, 18 August.
Young javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra will be carrying India’s flag and lead the contingent at the Asian Games 2018.
Where to watch:
The opening ceremony will be telecast on Sony ESPN.
Shiva Keshavan, Karnam Malleswari Wish the Indian Contingent Their Very Best
Sydney Olympic bronze winner, Karnam Malleswari and six time olympian Shiva Keshavan wished their very best to the Indian contingent. Both the athletes took to twitter to express their firm belief that the athletes representing India at the Asian Games will do the country proud.
“Don’t forget that 125 crore prayers will be supporting you, give it your best , ”said Karnam Malleswari.
Wishing the entire Indian contingent at the #AsianGames the very best. Good luck to everyone participating and hope that we finish strong. #AsianGames2018 @ioaindia @media_sai @indiasports @asiangames2018 @sportwiseindia pic.twitter.com/AsQAbN1GNm
— Karnam Malleswari, OLY (@kmmalleswari) August 18, 2018
Best wishes for the entire Indian contingent at the #AsianGames. Weâre all behind you, cheering you! #JaiHind #AsianGames2018 @asiangames2018 @ioaindia @Media_SAI @IndiaSports @IndianOlympians pic.twitter.com/eAIhBQwThB
— Shiva Keshavan, OLY (@100thofasec) August 18, 2018
Indonesian President Joko Widodo Arrives at the GBK Stadium in Jakarta
The Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium to set in motion the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
This is what you've been waiting for!
— Team India (@ioaindia) August 18, 2018
The spectacular Opening Ceremony of the 18th #AsianGames2018 #WatchOut for more from the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta as #TeamIndia walks in led by @Neeraj_chopra1 ð®ð³â#IAmTeamIndia #AsianGames #AsianGamesOpening pic.twitter.com/l4JelBBLOW
Afghanistan Begin the Prestigious 'Parade of Athletes’
The ‘Parade of Athletes’ was set in motion by Afghanistan in their traditional dress.
Indonesia Performers Light the Stage up at 18th Asian Games
The GBK stadium of Jakarta was lit in blue and green with their rich display of flora at the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games.
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.
India Arrive with 572 Athlete Contingent
The Indian team arrive at the ‘Parade of Athletes’ with their 572 athlete contingent.
One by one, athletes walk the stage. This is truly becoming the melting pot for countries all over Asia to celebrate the love of game and friendship! Has your country graced the stage yet? Retweet if they have! #OpeningAG2018 #AsianGames2018
— Asian Games 2018 (@asiangames2018) August 18, 2018
The Koreas Get Unified at the Asian Games 2018
The North and the South Korea will be participating as one team in this event. The two countries march as one team for the first time in the 18th Asian games 2018.
In the opening ceremony in Jakarta, athletes from North and South Korea parade together under the flag featuring a blue map that symbolized a unified Korean Peninsula.
It was a virtual repeat of the joint march during February's Winter Olympics in the South Korean ski resort of Pyeongchang, minus the gloves, parkas and fur hats.
Flag Bearers and Flag Raisers Arrive at the Stadium to Raise Indonesian Flag
The flag bearers and flag raisers arrive at the stadium to raise the Indonesian flag at the Asian Games 2018, the stadium stands up for the Indonesian national anthem.
Tulus sings the Indonesia national anthem, "Indonesia Raya", with the entire stadium singing along! #OpeningAG2018 #AsianGames2018 pic.twitter.com/lgiYKeOaqq
— Asian Games 2018 (@asiangames2018) August 18, 2018
Indonesian President Joko Widodo Declares the 18th Asian Games Open
The 18th Asian Games being hosted jointly in the cities of Jakarta and Palembang has been officially declared open by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Athletes Take the Oath of the Asian Games
Athletes take their their oath of the Asian Games after the competition was declared open.
Former Indonesian athletes carry the Olympic Council of Asia flag during the opening ceremony for the 18th Asian Games in the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium
The competition will continue till 2 September where around 10,000 athletes from 45 countries will compete in 58 games.
Top Indonesian Artists Perform at the Cultural Event of the 18th Asian Games
The ceremony show begins after the protocol segment gets over at the 18th Asian Games.
Stay tuned for more performances by top Indonesian artists at the #OpeningAG2018 ! It will be a spectacular blend of singing, dancing, and drama! #AsianGames2018 pic.twitter.com/76WUqAA10k
— Asian Games 2018 (@asiangames2018) August 18, 2018
Artists Performing in Vibrant Colours in the GBK Stadium
Indonesian artists and performers capturing the mood of the country.
On one hand the stadium is lit in the serenity of green and blue and on the other in the red hot colours of the lava.
The Asian Games Torch Arrives at Its Final Resting Place
The Asian games torch arrives at its final resting place as the athletes pass the torch and climb the make shift jungle and the mountains to light the volcano and the cauldron of the Asian Games 2018.
The Games are on the way.
Opening Ceremony Concludes in Vibrant Colours of Indonesian Culture
The opening ceremony of the 18th Asian Games ends in the bursting noise of firecrackers, cheer of the crowd and the most vibrant colours mixed in the culture of Indonesia.
The Asian games are one the way.