The 2022 Asian Games, also known as the Hangzhou Asian Games, was held in September 2023. It was Asia’s largest event.

More than 12,000 athletes from over 45 countries and regions took part in the Hangzhou Asian Games. They competed in over 40 sports events. These events included traditional sports such as swimming, basketball, as well as sports with Asian characteristics such as wushu and surfing. The Asian Games also added two competition events: electronic sports and break dance.

The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India in 1951. So far, China has hosted three Asian Games in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou in 1990, 2010 and 2023.

The 2022 Asian Games’ three mascots (吉祥物) are Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen. Congcong stands for the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City (良渚古城遗址). Lianlian stands for the West Lake. Chenchen stands for the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河). It is named after Gongchen Bridge, which has a history of over 400 years.

The importance of the Hangzhou Asian Games is not only limited to the sports field, but also has an important influence on Asia and the world. It shows cooperation (合作) and friendship among Asian countries. The Asian Games also shows Asia’s unique culture and traditions to the world.

The FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar and exciting moment is truly coming. It’s the world’s biggest international soccer game and also the most-watched sporting event in the world. There are 32 teams competing to win. This year’s game looks to be particularly unique (独一无二). What makes it different from the ones before?

For starters, it’s the first time the game has been held in the Middle East after Qatar beat other host competitors—the US, South Korea, Japan and Australia back in 2010. It’s also the first time in history the game is happening during the Northern Hemisphere (北半球) winter months, from Nov 20 to Dec 18.

That’s because Qatar is a desert country, and in summer the temperature can be as high as 42℃. That’s way too hot to play outdoor sports. But it will still be pretty warm in winter. The temperature in the stadium (体育场) is expected to be around 20℃ to 30℃. Air conditioning (空调) will help to keep it cooler.

Qatar is also the smallest nation by area to host the cup. They’ll be playing the first match of the game, facing Ecuador (厄瓜多尔). It’s Qatar’s first-ever FIFA World Cup game. This makes them the first country to host their debut (首秀) game since Italy in 1934!

There may be new challenges for many players too. Besides the hot weather, for European teams like England, France, Germany and Spain, it’s only just over a year since their last big international game, the UEFA Champions League (欧联杯).

According to FIFA’s rankings (排名), the favorites to win the game this year are Brazil, followed by Argentina and France.