Sparkling lights at the Asian Cup 2023 Opening Ceremony
Hai Hoang•DNUM_BCZABZCACE 23:04
(Baonghean.vn) - Tonight, January 12, the opening ceremony of the 2023 Asian Cup finals was held by host country Qatar with a shimmering and magical light party.
The opening ceremony of the 2023 Asian Cup will take place at 9:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. local time) at Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final and has a capacity of 88,000 people. Photo: AFCWith experience in organizing world championships, having stunned with a magical opening ceremony a year ago, host Qatar created another sparkling night with music, lights, fireworks and state-of-the-art supporting technology. Photo: AFCThe opening ceremony of the 2023 Asian Cup is titled The Lost Chapter of Kelileh and Demneh, a chapter in a 15-chapter Persian tale about animal heroes. Photo: AFCThe mascots were brought to life on the opening night. Photo: AFCThe 2023 Asian Cup offers Asian football fans the opportunity to learn about new cultures, build lasting friendships and create meaningful memories. Photo: AFCAt the opening ceremony, Qatari singer Fahad Al-Hajjaji and Kuwaiti singer Humood AlKhudher performed the tournament's theme song "Hadaf" (Arabic for "goal") together. Photo: AFCHadaf's upbeat lyrics and melody are meant to encourage people to pursue their own "goals", as well as cheer on teams to compete, score goals and bring glory to the country. Photo: AFCAlthough the ceremony started at 9:00 p.m., the Lusail Stadium opened four hours earlier, at 6:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. local time), so that fans could experience the festive atmosphere, from food to culture, and interact with the tournament's five mascots: Saboog, Tmbki, Freha, Zkriti and Traeneh. Photo: AFCThis is also the mascot of the 2011 Asian Cup, which was also held in Qatar. According to the explanation of designer Ahmed Al-Maadeed, they represent the maturity of Qatar compared to 12 years ago, and also symbolize the 5 regions of the country located on the Arabian Peninsula. Photo: AFCA day before the opening ceremony, hundreds of security personnel were deployed around Lusail Stadium. Streets leading to the stadium, including Lusail Avenue, a commercial hub, were placed under curfew from earlier this week until the end of February. Photo: AFCQatar is the only country to have hosted the world's biggest football festival three times. This time, they bring to the participating countries unprecedented experiences such as enjoying world-class stadiums and facilities right in Asia. Photo: AFC
