HANGZHOU, China, July 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On 27 July 2023, HAGOC held the second Hangzhou Asian Games Press Briefing. During the briefing, Mr Ding Jiong, Director of HAGOC's Games Services Department, Mr Xu Deqing, Director of HAGOC's Press & Public Relations Department and Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee and Mr Zhu Qinan, Director of HAGOC's Sports Department respectively presented to members of foreign and local media organisations regarding Games services, latest progress of preparations for media services for the Games, draw results of team sports for the Games and the latest information on Entry by Name. The briefing was hosted by Mr Xu Bin, Deputy Director of the Press & Public Relations Department of HAGOC.

1. The Team Draw is now Complete - A Milestone for the Games

Under the supervision of the OCA, the Team Draw was carried out among four AFs, namely Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF) and Asian Handball Federation (AHF). The completion of the Team Draw is a milestone for the Hangzhou Asian Games, as it finalises a key aspect of the competition schedule and informs other operations, including ticketing and TV broadcasting. It also helps boost ticket sales and, most importantly, it allows NOCs to prepare appropriately for the Games.

All 483 competition events across 61 disciplines in the 40 sports for the Games have now been finalised. The three stages of sport entry, Entry by Sport, Entry by Number and Entry by Name, are now complete with Asia's 45 NOCs entering more than 12,527 athletes in the Games. The number of participating athletes surpasses that at previous Asian Games. All 56 competition venues are now operational and ready for the event, and 4,575 ITOs/NTOs have been appointed. The General Competition Schedule and detailed schedules are essentially complete. The Sport Operations Centre, Sport Information Centre, 78 competition operations teams and 31 training operations teams have been assembled. All staff are ready to begin and their professionalism and skills have been further developed through training sessions and test events. All kinds of sports publications have been drawn up. To summarise, the planning and organisation of competitions for the Hangzhou Asian Games is essentially complete.

2. The Asian Games Village is Ready - The Best Possible "Food, Accommodation & Transport" will be Provided for Village Residents.

HAGOC has organised catering services for each of the eight (8) client groups to ensure a high standard of catering is provided consistently throughout the Games. We have carefully developed menus for the athletes that offer the choice of international cuisine or the opportunity to enjoy the distinctive flavours found in Zhejiang cuisine. The various menus have been reviewed and approved by the OCA. We have also crafted menus for guests staying at the sub-villages, that also integrate the unique cooking styles that can be found at each location while adhering to the overall menu roster established for the Asian Games Village. In addition, we have also identified food ingredients that could pose a risk to athletes unintentionally, by causing a doping violation (due to the food production processes used). Accordingly, we have selected quality suppliers of high-risk and reduced-risk ingredients, and suppliers of ingredients that will not be consumed by athletes. The storage facility for food ingredients for athletes commenced official operations on 20 July. The Smart Meal Ordering System has been complete and is now online for operation during the test events. We are currently carrying out simulations to ensure catering services will be delivered and food supplies are operating and will be delivered smoothly, respectively.

Games' accommodation will include a mix of villages and hotels. Athletes and team officials will stay in the Athletes Village (athletes sub-villages), while OCA Family members will stay in OCA Family Hotels. Technical officials will be accommodated in either the Technical Officials Village or designated hotels, while media and Games broadcasting professionals will stay in the Media Village or designated hotels. Local and international VIPs, other than those above, will stay in official hotels. The Asian Games Village and athletes sub-villages are now ready to accommodate athletes, team officials, technical officials and media professionals and will provide them with accommodation, catering and other life services during their stay. During the Games time, athletes and team officials will have access to a range of services, including transport for arrivals and departures, transport for competitions and training sessions, transport for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, transport between competition zones, NOC dedicated vehicles, and free public transport services. Similarly, accredited media personnel will be provided with transport services for arrivals and departures, transport from the Media Village to the Main Media Centre (MMC), from the MMC to all venues, and between competition zones, and free public transport services.

3. With the Completion of the Basic Infrastructure, the MMC will Offer High-Quality and Efficient Services.

The MMC serves as the base of operations for accredited media and broadcasters, providing them with a place to work and live during the Hangzhou Asian Games. HAGOC will ensure that the MMC and its operations are well-managed and will strive to provide professional services, to an international standard, to local and foreign media journalists and staff. In planning and designing the MMC, we focused on meeting requirements, providing comprehensive services, capturing the character of Jiangnan, and ensuring the project was well-coordinated. Drawing inspiration from international sports events and the unique characteristics of the Hangzhou Asian Games, we worked in partnership with professionals from Xinhua News Agency, the China Media Group and other media organisations, who provided input on setting up workrooms, conference rooms and other facilities, so they meet the needs of media personnel covering the Games. In the Centre we have provided dedicated zones that support the latest digital communications including cloud broadcasting and interviews. We also designed a zero-carbon video display that showcases China's advanced technology, and created a one-stop service zone, in the form of an exhibition space, that provides a range of support services.

The MMC operations team will focus its efforts in four main areas: cultural presentations, transport management, press releases, and collaboration. The team will showcase the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture to local and foreign journalists, and provide considerate, safe and convenient one-stop transport services. It will ensure there are timely and informative press releases throughout the Games, respond to each concern from media personnel, and satisfy whatever needs arise in the course of local and foreign media coverage of the event.

The operational infrastructure of the MMC has been completed, and the team is scheduled to complete its bump-in on 15 August. During the de-bugging and trial operations, the team will carry out multiple practice drills to ensure its readiness. The MMC will officially commence operations on 18 September. Ahead of the Games, the MMC will also host a series of events, including an open day for the public on 24 August and a Media Tour Day on 5 September.