Hangzhou ready to host smart, safe Asian Games

High-tech systems and personnel are primed to deliver

Hangzhou, along with five other cities in Zhejiang province, is ready to host a smart and safe Asian Games, which will officially open on Saturday, said Chen Weiqiang, chief spokesman for the Hangzhou Asian Games and the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

"The Hangzhou Asian Games — the third Asiad to be hosted in China — is an Asian Games held in the new era. Many high-tech applications have been installed to deliver a smart and safe Games," said Chen, who is also executive secretary-general of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee.

"We have overcome a lot of challenges and are now fully equipped to successfully hold the Games. All competition equipment and support and operations teams are in place," he added.

For the first time, "online torchbearers" from around the world will together light the flame of the Games during the opening ceremony, Chen said.

The digital torch relay was launched on June 15, in sync with the physical one. More than 100 million people online, who passed on the torch by shaking their mobile phones, had participated in the digital relay as of Wednesday.