Asian Games speech contest winners announced

The awards ceremony of the China Mobile Cup English Star Contest for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 was held in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, on Tuesday.

Husain Al-Musallam, director general of the Olympic Council of Asia, offered his congratulations to the organizers and winners of the contest via a video message played at the ceremony.

Mao Genhong, deputy secretary-general of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, resonated with Al-Musallam's views: "The Asian Games are not only a sporting event but also a cultural exchange event. The Games will also become an important window for the world to hear the voices telling Chinese stories, show the characteristics of Zhejiang, and improve the international image of Hangzhou."

As part of the celebrations at the awards ceremony, ordinary citizens and Olympics champions were invited to talk about their experiences and expectations for the Asian Games.

Jin Xiaoyu, a local volunteer from Hangzhou, who has battled mental health challenges for over 30 years while making remarkable achievements in translation, shared his unique bond with the Asian Games, and he expressed hope that this event will inspire more people to volunteer.

The China Mobile Cup English Star Contest for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, hosted by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee in conjunction with China Daily and China Mobile, was officially launched on May 20,2021, and concluded on March 28, this year. The Games will be held from Sept 23 to Oct 8, 2023.

The winners of the three entry categories were Wang Yuting from Nanjing University, who won first prize in the higher education group; Mao Peirui, who topped the public group; and Bupe Mtambo, who came first in the international group.

The champions from the three categories of the contest shared their journeys to success and the inspiration they got from the theme of the contest "Together, we achieve more!".

Mtambo, an international student from Hangzhou Normal University and winner of the international category, said he was eager to introduce the Hangzhou Asian Games to his hometown friends.

Several Olympic and world champions were invited to attend the ceremony online and offline to encourage more people to participate in the Asian Games, including swimmer Wang Shun, who won gold in the men's 200 meter individual medley at the Tokyo Olympics; He Bingjiao, a badminton world champion who helped China win the BWF Uber Cup (world women's team championships) last year and a semifinalist in the singles event at the Tokyo Olympics; gymnast Guan Chenchen, who clinched gold in the women's balance beam at the Tokyo Olympics; and Wang Yilyu, who with his partner won the badminton mixed doubles final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Chen Weiqiang, deputy secretary-general of the Games' organizing committee and vice-mayor of Hangzhou; Mao Genhong, deputy secretary-general of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and deputy secretary-general of Hangzhou government; Zhu Baoxia, board member and secretary-general of China Daily; Zeng Qingkai, editor-in-chief of China Daily 21st Century English Education Media; and Zhang Hanliang, deputy general manager of China Mobile Zhejiang attended the awards ceremony.