This year's Asian Athletics Championships will have Lord Hanuman, a revered Hindu deity and an avatar of Lord Shiv, as its official mascot. The Asian Athletics Association revealed the mascot and gave an explanation of why Lord Hanuman was selected as the game's official mascot.
The continental organization praised Lord Hanuman's commitment and loyalty on its official website.
According to the website, Hanuman "displays amazing qualities in the service of (Lord) Rama, including speed, strength, courage, and knowledge. Hanuman's immensely steadfast loyalty and devotion are actually his greatest strength.
The athletic organization claims that Lord Hanuman represents several important qualities of the competing athletes, including abilities, dedication, and teamwork.
Furthermore, according to the website, "The 25th Asian Athletics Championships 2023 logo indicates the athletes participating in the games, skills, teamwork of athletes, showcase of athleticism, dedication, and sportsmanship."
In many Southeast Asian countries, the Indian epic Ramayan by Valmiki is quite well-known. Hinduism has had a subtle influence on local cultures, including Thailand. Ramakien is the Thai name for the mythical warrior King Rama of India.
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, hosted the five-day event, which began on July 12 and will conclude on July 16. Under the direction of long jumper Sreeshankar and shot putter Tajinderpal Singh, about 50 Indian athletes are competing in this year's event. The Indian team departed from Delhi and Bengaluru for Bangkok on July 8.
India had earlier declared a 54-person contingent. A number of the athletes chose to withdraw, though, due to injury worries. The Indian team for this year's Championship will also be missing Neeraj Chopra and Avinash Sable. They both have their sights set on the next World Athletics Championships in August.
The 25th Asian Athletics Championship, which is regarded as Asia's largest track and field competition, will honor the Asian Athletics Association's 50th birthday.
The 24th Championships in 2021 were postponed because of the COVID-19 epidemic. All 23 of the previous events of the Asian Athletics Championships have had nine or fewer teams, including Thailand, the host nation. In addition to China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the eight other participating countries are all eight Asian countries.
