2022 Asian Para Games

The official emblem of the 2022 Asian Para Games, "Ever Forward", was unveiled on 2 March 2020. It features a wheelchair athlete striving forward on a running track with 10 semi-arc lines and resembling surging Qiantang River tides. The organising committee stated that the emblem was meant to reflect "the sublime heroism of the para-athletes in persevering and challenging themselves".[11][12]

Fei Fei (飞飞), a character inspired by the motive of the divine bird in the Liangzhu culture and which is a symbol of bliss in local legend, was unveiled online on 16 April 2020 as the official mascot of the Games.[13] The first "fly" is the flight of a bird. The high sky allows birds to fly, which means a good atmosphere of tolerance, respect and friendship in human society. The second "fly" is the mental state of disabled athletes who chase their dreams and leap ahead of themselves.[14]She displays a pattern of the Liangzhu Culture around her body from wings to cheeks and the letter "i" on her crown representing intelligence and Hangzhou as the City of Internet, which blinks when she is happy or playing sports. Her chest features a ring of 45 dots which represents the Asian Paralympic Committee's (APC) members, with the Games logo in the centre. She is described as the fusion of Hangzhou's heritage and drive for technological innovation and a messenger of joy and cultural distinction.[15]

The official motto of the 2022 Asian Para Games, "Hearts meet, Dreams shine" was unveiled on the same day as the emblem. Similar to the motto of the Asian Games, it symbolises connectivity between the countries of Asia.[16]

On 14 July 2023, the 100-day countdown to the 4th Asian Para Games, the medal design named "Osmanthus Grace" (Chinese: 桂子; pinyin: Guìzǐ) was released. Its name was derived from a Tang lyric poem composed by the poet-governor of Hangzhou a thousand years ago, one line of which goes, "Around mountain temples, I search for osmanthus blooms falling from the moon" (Chinese: 山寺月中寻桂子; pinyin: Shānsì yuè zhōng xún guìzǐ). The medal design was a combination of two different Jades: round green Bi and yellow square Cong in the Liangzhu culture, respectively associated with heaven and earth.[17] The obverse featured the Games edition logo encircled by Sweet Osmanthus flowers – city flower of Hangzhou, while the reverse featured the Asian Paralympic Council Emblem surrounded by braille letters and the name of the event in Chinese and English.[18][19]

"Laurel Wreath" design thought, from the demonstration of five thousand years of Chinese civilization history Liangzhu Yu Cong and Hangzhou flower - osmanthus flower, respect Liangzhu Yu Cong as the source of culture, the gift of heaven and earth, the road through the ancient and modern; The fragrance of Hangzhou osmanthus flowers is overflowing, implying the idea of sunshine, harmony, self-improvement and sharing.[20]

The flame of Asian Para Games 2022 was lit in Guangzhou Sports Culture Museum, Guangzhou on 12 October. It traveled across some cities in Hangzhou like Chun’an and Jiande on 19 October, then Tonglu and Fuyang on 20 October, Xiaoshan on 21 October and finally arrived at Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium on 22 October.

In December 2021, Asian Paralympic Committee declared 19 final venues ready for upcoming Asian Para Games.[21]

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Asian Para Games was took place on Sunday, 22 October 2023, at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, China. The ceremony was directed by Sha Xiaolan, one of assistant directors of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 Winter Paralympics held in Beijing. It was attended by Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, some Asian foreign leaders and the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons.

The closing ceremony of the 2022 Asian Para Games will take place on Saturday, 28 October 2023 in Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium.

The Games are to feature 566 gold medal events in 22 sports (in 24 disciplines) which were split into many events, including Para Taekwondo, Para Canoe and Go which were included for the first time in the games' programme. Absent from the previous edition, Blind Football and Rowing which were not featured at the 2018 edition will return. The organizing committee chose to drop the bowling events held at the 3 previous editions due a lack of possible venues.[22]

In this edition, 438 of 566 events planned (522 in act) held during the 2020 Summer Paralympics program were also scheduled to be held.[23][24][25][26]

Changes compared to 2018 program (2022 have 60 more events than 2018):[27][28]

• 1 Sport removed consist of 18 gold events: Bowling at the 2018 Asian Para Games (-18).
• 5 Sports added consist of 30 gold events: Para Taekwondo (+10), Para Canoeing (+10), Go (+4), Blind Football (1), Para Rowing (+5).
• 2 Sports with reduced number of events (-13): Para Athletics (-8), Para Table Tennis (-5).
• 7 Sports with new events (+ 61): Para Archery (+6), Para Badminton (+3), Boccia (with changes in competition format) (+4), Para Cycling (+3), Para Judo (with changes in classifications) (+1), Lawn Bowls (+9), Para Swimming (+35).

In swimming: 141 events was planned but for classifications and shortage competitors decreased to 97 events.