The inaugural ceremony of the Asian Games is scheduled to take place at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, fondly referred to as the Big Lotus. Originally constructed as a football stadium in 2018, this venue boasts an impressive seating capacity of approximately 80,000 spectators.

The grand event is set to kick off at 5:30 PM in India and is designed to pay homage to China's rich cultural heritage while seamlessly integrating elements of cutting-edge artificial intelligence and environmentally conscious technology.

Representing the Indian contingent, the honour of carrying the Indian flag during the ceremony will be bestowed upon the Men's hockey captain, Harmanpreet Singh, and the accomplished boxer, Lovlina Borgohain. In the previous 2018 edition held in Jakarta, the country took pride in Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra as its flag-bearer.

The presence of distinguished foreign dignitaries is anticipated at this remarkable event. Notably, China's President, Xi Jinping, will be among the esteemed guests such as Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, Hong Kong's leader John Lee Ka-chiu, and Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo are also expected to attend.

India has sent its largest-ever contingent, comprising 655 Indian athletes, to participate across 39 diverse sporting disciplines. Remarkably, this surpasses previous representations. With over 12,000 athletes participating, exceeding even the Olympics, the Asian Games 2023 promises to be a monumental sporting extravaganza.

In the 2018 edition, India secured an impressive 70 medals, including 16 gold, 23 silver, and 31 bronze, culminating in an eighth-place finish. The nation aspires to surpass this remarkable achievement in the upcoming games.

For those eager to witness the grandeur of the Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony, it will commence at 5:30 PM IST. Indian viewers can tune in to the Sony Sports Network for a live telecast, while live streaming of the ceremony will be accessible on SonyLiv.