Dhaka, Aug 9 (UNB) - A large contingent of 203 members will represent Bangladesh in the 16th Asian Games to be held November 12-27 in Guangzhou, the 2nd Chinese city, to host the Games after the Beijing Asiad in 1990.

Bangladesh Shooting Federation president Maj Gen Mohammad Ashabuddin has been named as chef-de-mission to lead the Bangladesh contingent comprising 137 sportspersons and 66 officials. Abdul Awal Majnu of Bangladesh Rowing Federation named as deputy chef-de-mission.

The gala opening ceremony will be held at Haixinsha Island in Pearl River with some 7,000 performers taking part in the display.

Leading athletes of 45 Asian countries will compete in 476 events of the 42 disciplines of sports, which will feature five new sports including Twenty20 Cricket.

Out of the 42 disciplines, Bangladesh will compete in 14 disciplines of sports - Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey, Kabaddi, Karate, Shooting, Swimming, Taekwondo, Weightlifting and Wusu.

Meanwhile, the training camps for all the 14 participating sporting disciplines of Bangladesh team begins tomorrow (Tuesday) at different venues in the city and adjoining areas.

The training venues: Bangabandhu National Stadium, BKSP, Shaheed Suhrawardy Indoor Stadium, National Shooting Complex, National Swimming Complex, Sultana Kamal Women’s Sports Complex, Mohammad Ali Boxing Stadium, Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, National Sports Council Gymnasium, Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium, and Kurmitola Golf Club.

The training camps will continue till the first week of November.