The Asian Games has been tipped to be a showcase for lesser-known sports to make their mark on the global stage and demonstrate the diversity of sport on the continent.

The 19th edition of the Games kicked off in Hangzhou, China, on Saturday and features 481 events over 40 sports, with around 12,000 athletes set to take part, more than are expected to compete at the Paris Olympics next year.

Multi-sport commentator Olly Hogben claimed that, depending on the metric - number of sports, number of athletes, viewing figures or TV contracts - it is either the largest or the second-largest sporting event in the world.

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"This is the Games for all of Asia, with sports for all of Asia, and there is an opportunity for lots of nations to celebrate their sports that don't feature in a high-profile way on the global stage, sports of the Far East like Wushu, traditional Chinese martial art Ju-jitsu, central Asian forms of belt wrestling like Kurash, Indian sub-continent team sports like Kabaddi, ball sports like Sepak takraw, which is like volleyball with the feet," he told CGTN.

"Sport is never just sport. It's an expression of our cultural identity, our history, and Asia is as sportingly diverse as it is culturally diverse and that is represented in the diversity of the Games."

E-sports gets its full debut in Hangzhou and its inclusion could be part of a broader picture for the emergence of video gaming as a sport in its own right on the global sporting stage.

Hogben said: "It was a demonstration sport in 2018 and is now a formal medal event at the Games. It is a multi-sport platform for E-sports and the world will be watching.

"The Olympics is under pressure to modernize and has been looking at E-sports and now the Asian Games will give it a platform. There are seven medal events in E-sports."

Hogben highlighted gymnastics as "one of the absolute marquee events" in China this time around and also picked out soft tennis as one which may be unknown by a wider audience.

"In practical terms, it's an Olympic qualification event for nine different sports," he added. "Athletes will have an opportunity to earn their place at Paris 2024 but also the Asian Games exists for itself, as a representation as one of the most sportingly diverse places in the world.

"Cricket will feature hugely, it has an enormous audience. Baseball and softball also have a massive audience. You also have very niche sports such as soft tennis, which doesn't exist at any other multi-sport Games on this scale."

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Video editor: Tom Triebel