HANGZHOU, China: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah urged athletes competing in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou Thursday to do their best to represent Kuwait in the best way possible. HH the Crown Prince, in a speech while receiving Chairman of Kuwait National Olympic Committee Sheikh Fahad Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, members of the NOC board and athletes in Hangzhou, said he was keen on meeting them to encourage them to do their best and raise their flag high.

He conveyed the greetings of HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the athletes and his best wishes of luck in their competitions. “You came here to represent your country, not yourself; sport is about conduct before being a performance; (I urge you to) show commitment to the noble values and remember that your training and preparation is your strength to reaching objectives of winning prizes,” HH the Crown Prince said. He highly appreciated efforts of the coaches and asserted the importance of development of sport in Kuwait.

HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal arrives at Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan International Airport on Sept 21, 2023.

The audience was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment Saad Al-Barrak, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Mohammad Al-Aiban, Minister of Electrity, Water and Renewable Energy Jassem Al-Ostad, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Faleh Al-Raquba, Director General of the Public Authority for Sport Yusuf Al-Baidan and senior officials.

HH the Crown Prince earlier arrived at Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan International Airport in eastern China’s Zhejiang province to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Olympic Games at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. HH the Crown Prince was welcomed by Chinese Minister of Transportation Li Xiaopeng, Chairwoman of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Huang Lixin, head of the accompanying honorary mission and Ambassador to Kuwait Zhang Jianwei, and, from the Kuwaiti side, Assistant Foreign Minister for Asia Affairs Sameeh Jowhar Hayat, Ambassador to China Jassem Ibrahim Al-Najem, Consul General in Shanghai Mishal Al-Shamali, Consul General in Guangzhou Abdullah Al-Turki and Consul General in Hong Kong Nasser Saqr, as well as heads of the offices of the Kuwait Embassy in Beijing. – KUNA