Asian Games 2023 Opening ceremony LIVE Updates: Stage set for grand opening in Hangzhou

The Asian Games opening ceremony takes place on Saturday. PTI

Preview: Asian Games officially gets underway in Hangzhou on Saturday. India will field 665 athletes across 40 disciplines, and while the Games only get underway on Saturday, some of the sporting action have already commenced.

This includes women’s cricket, where the India women’s cricket team qualified for the semi-finals. They will face arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-finals.

The India men’s volleyball team, meanwhile, have made a name for themselves in the Asian Games this time around. They stunned South Korea, while also beating Chinese Taipei to reach the quarter-finals.

The opening ceremony in Hangzhou starts at 5.30 pm IST. For India, men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flagbearers.