What to Watch at the China-Hosted Asian Games

The Asian Games are traditionally viewed as lacking the professional standards, global reach and grandeur of top-tier sporting events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup. Even the Chinese National Games seem to overshadow the Asian Games in terms of importance among sports authorities and athletes’ fortitude.

However, countless Chinese sports icons began their Olympic journey at the Asian Games, where numerous sports legends were born. They include hurdling star Liu Xiang, “high jump prince” Zhu Jianhua who broke world records three times, and Olympic gold medalists who are now household names such as swimmer Sun Yang and diver Guo Jingjing.