99 Guangdong athletes to compete in Asian Games

China announced a strong sports delegation for the 2018 Asian Games on Aug 6. The country will send 845 athletes to vie in the 376 disciplines of the 38 sports on offer at the 18th Asiad, which opens on Aug 18 in Jakarta and runs through Sept 2 in the Indonesian capital.

A total of 123 people from Guangdong were named to the delegation, with Wang Yuping, director of the Sport Bureau of Guangdong Province, appointed its deputy secretary general. Ninety-nine Guangdong athletes will attend the game to complete in 79 disciplines of 29 sports.

Men's 100m sprint national record holder Su Bingtian, an athlete from Guangzhou, has his sights set on medals at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. [Photo/Xinhua]

A majority of the athletes in the delegation will make their international debut in Jakarta, answering the sports-governing body's call to embrace the continental meet as a high-exposure test for the country's young talents ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Many of the Guangdong athletes are part of that majority, never having participated in the Asian Games. Young as they are, they all hope for success at the event.

The Asiad will be a good opportunity to adjust training for the Tokyo games. It is worth mentioning that China and Japan will compete closely as favored entrants in quite a few events in Jakarta.

Fan Zhendong, the youngest ITTF World Tour Champion, will compete in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. [Photo/Xinhua]

Star athletes, such as men's 100-meter national record holder Su Bingtian and the youngest ITTF World Tour Champion Fan Zhendong, will lead the Chinese delegation in its fight for Asiad dominance over rivals Japan and South Korea in mainstream events like track and field, badminton and table tennis.