![Faker South Korea Esports Asian Games](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33UH8FX-620x406.jpg)
E-sports League of Legends South Korean national team player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (R) walks past supporters during a fan meeting ahead of the upcoming Asian Games in Gwangmyeong on September 11, 2023. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Some of the world’s best competitors will be in action at the Asian Games from Saturday to October 8.
AFP Sports selects eight athletes to watch in Hangzhou.
Mutaz Essa Barshim (high jump, Qatar)
![Mutaz Essa Barshim Qatar](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33U464W-620x413.jpg)
Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar competes in the men’s high jump final during the Diamond League athletics meeting at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich on August 31, 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
High jumper Barshim is the reigning Olympic champion – he famously shared gold with Italian Gianmarco Tamberi at the Tokyo Games – and is chasing a third gold at the Asian Games.
The Doha-born 32-year-old has also won every medal at the World Championships, including three gold. Also holder of the Asian high jump record.
Neeraj Chopra (javelin, INDIA)
![Neeraj Chopra India javelin](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33U463E-620x414.jpg)
India’s Neeraj Chopra competes in the men’s javelin throw final during the Diamond League athletics meet at Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich on August 31, 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
The 25-year-old created history at the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics 2021 when his victory in the javelin throw saw him become the first Indian in history to win athletics gold.
He followed that up with gold at the recent World Championships in Budapest, becoming the undisputed master of the men’s javelin throw. Also the reigning Asian Games champion.
Faker (eSports, KOREA)
![Faker South Korea Esports Asian Games](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33UH8FX-620x406.jpg)
E-sports League of Legends South Korean national team player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (R) walks past supporters during a fan meeting ahead of the upcoming Asian Games in Gwangmyeong on September 11, 2023. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is a legendary figure in eSports and is widely recognized as the best League of Legends player of all time.
Added to the incentive of him and his South Korean teammates winning gold at the Games is the fact that this will also exempt them from military service in their home country.
Rikako Ikee (swimming, JAPAN)
![Rikako Ikee Japan swimming](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33Q93QJ-620x413.jpg)
Japan’s Rikako Ikee reacts after competing in the women’s 50m butterfly swimming semi-final at the Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships on July 28, 2023. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP)
Ikee became the first swimmer to win six golds at a single Asian Games in Jakarta 2018, but months later she was diagnosed with leukemia.
Now 23, she is overcoming her illness by racing for the Japanese relay team at her home Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and has also competed in world championships since her return.
Qin Haiyang (swimming, CHINA)
![Qin Haiyang China swimming](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33Q93CV-620x413.jpg)
Gold medalist China’s Qin Haiyang poses during the medal ceremony for the men’s 200m breaststroke swimming event during the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka on July 28, 2023. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
Qin announced himself as the new undisputed breaststroke king at the recent world championships, covering all three distances – 50 metres, 100 meters and 200 meters – and setting a new world record in the 200 metres.
Competing in his first international event, the 24-year-old blew away the competition, setting new Asian records in each of his three races.
Zheng Qinwen (tennis, CHINA)
![Zheng Qinwen](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33UD3AY-620x424.jpg)
China’s Zheng Qinwen celebrates after winning against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur during the US Open tennis tournament women’s singles round of 16 match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, on September 4, 2023. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP)
Fresh from reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open, 20-year-old Zheng is now heavily interested in winning gold at the Asian Games to boost her fast-growing global reputation.
Ranked 22nd in the world, Zheng is the highest-ranked women’s tennis player in Hangzhou and won her first WTA Tour title this year. Named WTA Newcomer of the Year 2022.
Yin Ruoning (golf, CHN)
![Yin Ruoning wave](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/063_1665765363-620x413.jpg)
Ruoning Yin of China plays her shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G at Kenwood Country Club on September 7, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dylan Buell/Getty Images/AFP
Earlier this month, 20-year-old Yin became only the second Chinese golfer in history, after Feng Shanshan, to reach number one in the world.
Yin will work with pioneer Feng in Hangzhou because the now retired Feng, who topped the rankings from November 2017 to April 2018, is the head coach of the Chinese team.
An Se-young (badminton, KOREA)
![A Se-young](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/09/000_33UU7VW-620x413.jpg)
An Se-young of South Korea poses after winning the women’s singles final match against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi at the China Open Badminton tournament in Changzhou, eastern China’s Jiangsu province on September 10, 2023. (Photo by AFP) / China OUT
The 21-year-old has had a surprising year, winning nine titles and rising to number one in the world for the first time. In August she became world champion.
However, the competition at the Asian Games will be fierce, with ousted former world number one Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and a group of Chinese players all posing a challenge.