Nearly 40,000 volunteers to serve Hangzhou Asian Games

Volunteers are seen during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

HANGZHOU, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- As the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou marked its 30-day countdown on Thursday, some 37,600 volunteers for the Games were revealed at a ceremony held at Zhejiang University Zijingang Campus.

After several rounds of recruiting, training and practicing, the volunteers are ready to provide various services during the Games, including but not limited to competition operation services, registration and certification services, concierge and language services.

According to the organizing committee, the volunteers for the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games are mainly students from 46 universities in Zhejiang Province, with additional professionals in competition organization and management, foreign languages, medical care etc., as well as 400 volunteers from outside the province and about 400 from other representative groups.

Some 19,000 volunteers from 43 universities have already served the "Exciting Hangzhou" testing series as of early July.

Dressed in turquoise uniforms, Hangzhou volunteers are dubbed "Little Qinghe," which has a similar pronunciation to the word "genial" in Mandarin Chinese, representing their spirit of youth and geniality.

"We are ready," said student volunteer Zhao Hongyan. "We will focus on every process, step and detail during our service to contribute to the success of the Games."

"Alongside international volunteers from all corners of the world, I am dedicated to promoting the spirit of "dedication, friendship, mutual assistance, and progress," said Awad Mostafa Mohamed Safwat Mohamed from Egypt, an international student at Zhejiang University of Technology.

"Together, we will strive to be cultural communicators, sharing the stories of the Asian Games and China with the world."

Volunteers clap hands during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteer representatives wave flags during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteers are seen during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteers are seen during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteers are seen during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Honored guests present flags to volunteer representatives during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteers take selfies prior to the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteers are seen during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

Volunteer representatives wave flags during the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)