Asian powerhouse China today announced its 845-member strong delegation of athletes, including 19 Olympic champions, who will take part in the 2018 Asian Games to be held in Indonesia next weekend.
The Chinese delegation, which also includes 38 foreign coaches from 15 countries in 22 events, has signed up to compete in 376 disciplines of 38 sports out of the 40 on offer at the 18th Asiad, which opens on August 18 in Jakarta and runs through September 2 in the Indonesian capital.
In the last Asian Games, which were held in the South Korean city of Incheon in 2014, China had sent its largest ever contingent of the 897-athlete for any Games overseas.
At the 2014 Asian Games, China was the top medal winner with 151 gold, 109 silver and 85 bronze.
Among all the Chinese athletes in the delegation, a majority, 631, will make their international debut in Jakarta, echoing the sports-governing body's call to embrace the continental meet as a high-exposure test for the country's young talents ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the state-run China Daily reported today.
Star athletes, such as three-time Olympic champion swimmer Sun Yang, men's 100m sprint national record holder Su Bingtian and Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Zhu Ting, will lead the Chinese delegation to fight for Asian dominance in mainstream events, including swimming, track and field and collective ball games against rivals Japan, South Korea, Iran and Qatar, the report said.
The only two sports China will not compete in at the games in Jakarta are Kabaddi and weightlifting. Last year also it had not participated in kabbadi.
China is facing a one-year suspension imposed October last by the International Weightlifting Federation for doping violations at the 2008 Summer Olympics.