Lots of dignitaries but no real fireworks — only electronic flash — as the Asian Games open

By STEPHEN WADE
AP Sports Writer

HANGZHOU, China (AP) — The opening ceremony of the Asian Games in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event. Dignitaries greeted General Secretary Xi Jinping, fans packed the 80,000-seat Olympic Sports Center Stadium on Saturday, and many of the 12,417 participants from 45 nations and territories paraded to officially open the two-week competition. Next year’s Paris Olympics will field about 10,500 competitors. One big thing was missing: real fireworks, the exploding kind that smell of power and burnt fuses. Instead, the high-tech games offered plenty of electronic flash, 3D animations and a virtual torchbearer.