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Kathryn Giordano

Amid the fierce competition and decades-old rivalries at the Hangzhou Asian Games, there have been some fleeting moments of kindness and heartwarming support.
With a few days still left to go, the 19th Asiad has already seen plenty of tears and angry outbursts.
From judo slaps, tennis rackets being smashed, taekwondo argy-bargy, and the North Korean men’s football team attacking the referee, tensions have clearly been high for some athletes.
But thankfully, other competitors and fans are spreading the love to compensate – here are some of our favourite instances.

Here, have a turtle
Teen diving sensation Quan Hongchan won gold for China on Tuesday, and more hearts by regifting a turtle toy thrown from a fan to her coach.
The 16-year-old had been spotted carrying around several of the stuffed animals all week, most of which were fastened to her backpack.
A reporter asked the significance of the turtle hanging on the bag, to which Quan replied: “I like it, the turtle is ugly and cute. Anyway, it’s something I like.”
After Quan’s spectacular performance in the women’s 10m platform final, a fan threw her a stuffed turtle backpack. Quan indicated that she would regift it.
“I want to give it to coach Chen [Ruolin],” she said to her adoring crowd, before graciously handing it over to him.

A video is going viral on Chinese social media, where 16-year-old diving gold medallist Quan Hongchan regifted a turtle toy from a fan to her coach at the @19thAGofficial. pic.twitter.com/ovBBJz6mUI
— Mike Chan | SCMP (@MikeC_SCMP) October 5, 2023

Exchanging gifts after games
Along the same theme, China’s women’s basketball team admitted they exchange gifts with their opponents after “almost every game”.
The official Hangzhou Asian Games page on X, previously Twitter, posted a video showing members of the host team handing over presents to Mongolia.
Mongolia’s athletes received a badge with the Chinese Basketball Association’s logo on it, while the players from China got a fridge magnet with a horse emblem on it.
Despite the thrashing by China, who won the group game 101-46, both teams had smiles on their faces as they gave out their gifts.

Competitors on the court, friends off it.
Team China and Team Mongolia exchange gifts after the game, highlighting the bond forged through sportsmanship.#Hangzhou #AsianGames #TeamChina #TeamMongolia #Basketball #HangzhouAsianGames #AsianGames2023 #Sportsmanship pic.twitter.com/RXWOi7QAOk
— 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Official (@19thAGofficial) September 28, 2023

Showing love for a veteran gymnast
When the 48-year-old Oksana Chusovitina finished her vault performance, the crowd burst into applause and adoration for the veteran.
The Uzbekistan gymnast received a score of 13.383 in the women’s vault event, which was good enough for fourth place, and sports fans on Weibo – a social media platform in China – expressed admiration and congratulations to Chusovitina, who has been competing in the Asian Games since 1994 in Hiroshima.
“Standing on the starting line, you are already a champion,” one user wrote.
“The moment Chusovitina appeared, there was constant applause and cheers. She is already a legend when she stands on the court. Pay tribute to the veteran and cheer for her!” another wrote.
Chusovitina has accumulated one gold medal and one silver from her eight Olympic appearances, as well as eight additional medals from her five Asiads.

A special birthday surprise
League of Legends competitor Zhao Jiahou of China got not only a bronze medal on Friday, but also a surprise on his 22nd birthday.
China’s League of Legends team had just defeated Vietnam in the bronze medal match, when a happy birthday song started playing in the stadium.
The song was played to celebrate Zhao, who also goes by “Elk” in esports tournaments, and whose birthday fell on the same day as the match.

A League of Legends competitor got a special birthday surprise after winning bronze in Hangzhou - organisers played a birthday song for China's Zhao Jiahou to celebrate. Well done, @19thAGofficial 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/YqOGbcUJ0C
— Mike Chan | SCMP (@MikeC_SCMP) October 5, 2023

And hopefully teammate Chen Zebin, whose 20th birthday was the day before, also got to soak up a little bit of the fanfare.
“When the audience shouted happy birthday, it was the greatest encouragement to him!” a user on Weibo wrote.
Comforting a tearful athlete
Rather than showing disappointment after Hong Kong gymnast Angel Wong Hiu-ying’s qualifying performance, the city’s chef de mission Kenneth Fok Kai-kong offered words of comfort.
Wong, 36, had fallen twice in her balance beam routine and received scores too low to continue in the competition.

Heartwarming moment at the Asian Games! ❤️
Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, Chef de Mission of the Hong Kong, China Delegation to the Asian Games, gave a young athlete a hug and words of encouragement upon witnessing her tears of frustration after the competition. Keep going, all athletes!… pic.twitter.com/ePFvmKoJ9b
— 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Official (@19thAGofficial) September 27, 2023

Fok was seen comforting a tearful Wong with a hug.
“Scores are not everything, you are the best,” he said.


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Asian Games 2023

Asian Games 2023’s most heartwarming moments as Chinese teen diver Quan Hongchan regifts turtle toy to coach

Teen diving sensation Quan Hongchan won gold for China on Tuesday, and more hearts by regifting a turtle toy thrown from a fan to her coach. Photo: Weibo

Quan Hongchan at the medal ceremony after winning gold in the women’s 10m platform diving event. Photo: Xinhua

Oksana Chusovitina of Uzbekistan acknowledges the adoring crowd showing their support. Photo: Xinhua

Asian Games 2023: Chinese fans love ‘adorable’ teen diver Quan Hongchan and the ‘zoo hanging off her backpack’ at airport

Quan Hongchan at the airport with a backpack covered in turtle toys. Photo: Weibo

Fans in Hangzhou show off their turtle toys to Quan Hongchan of China’s diving team. Photo: Migu Sports

Chinese diver Quan Hongchan wears both her gold medal and her satchel of turtles. Photo: Migu Sports

Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong’s Grace Lau wins karate bronze but coach questions seeding issue

GrGrace Lau performs during the first session of the women’s individual Kata at the Linping Sports Centre. Photo: Dickson Lee

Grace Lau Mo-sheung bags bronze in women’s individual kata. Photo: Dickson Lee

Tsang Yee-ting (third from left) watches the competition from the stands. Photo: Dickson Lee

Head coach William Thomas (right) watches on as Chris Cheng performs. Photo: Dickson Lee

Asian Games 2023: beating South Korea to bronze medal could prolong Hong Kong cyclist’s career

Cycling sisters Boey (left) and Chloe Leung helped to win the city’s first women’s team pursuit medal at the Asian Games. Photo: Dickson Lee

The women’s quartet on their way to beating South Korea to a podium spot. Photo: AFP

The bronze medal may be enough to extend Boey Leung’s (left) cycling career. Photo: SF&OC

Asian Games 2023: 3 failed doping tests hit Hangzhou event in 24 hours

Uzbekistan’s Aleksey Fomovskiy, Dmitriy Bocharov, Danil Evdokimov and Nikita Tsvetkov compete in the men’s team pursuit. Photo: AFP

Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong hit 50 medals and counting as team’s historic tally mounts

An emotional Yang Qianyu holds up her gold medal after winning the women’s road race. Photo: Dickson Lee.

Yang Qianyu celebrates with her Hong Kong teammates after winning gold. Photo: Dickson Lee.

Yang Qianyu (left) and Ceci Lee share a moment after the end of the race. Photo: Dickson Lee.

Hong Kong’s players applaud the fans at the end of their Asian Games semi-final against Japan. Photo: Dickson Lee

Sport

China

Quan melts hearts at arena in Hangzhou and on social media after she gives present from a fan to her coach Chen Ruolin
Fans, competitors and organisers are doing plenty to spread the love, from exchanging gifts with opponents to celebrating birthdays


Chinese teen diving sensation Quan Hongchan melts hearts at Hangzhou arena and on social media as she gives present from fan to her coach.


Quan Hongchan

Asian Games 2023’s most heartwarming moments as Chinese teen diver Quan Hongchan regifts turtle toy to coach

Quan melts hearts at arena in Hangzhou and on social media after she gives present from a fan to her coach Chen Ruolin Fans, competitors and organisers are doing plenty to spread the love, from exchanging gifts with opponents to celebrating birthdays

Here, have a turtle

Quan melts hearts at arena in Hangzhou and on social media after she gives present from a fan to her coach Chen Ruolin

Fans, competitors and organisers are doing plenty to spread the love, from exchanging gifts with opponents to celebrating birthdays