October 8: Hosts China racked up a record 201 gold medals before the curtain came down on two weeks of tears and triumphs at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Sunday.

According to AFP, the 19th and biggest Asiad concluded at the 80,000-capacity Olympic stadium with China handing over the hosting rights to Japan for 2026 edition at a celebratory closing ceremony.

Dancers holding lit-up props fanned out towards the audience in a performance evoking ocean waves while the words "love Asia" were projected on a big screen, added the French news agency.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, a spectator surnamed Xia told AFP that the Games made her feel "very moved and proud".

"The Chinese team did great," she said.

Taiwan's Gu Shiau-shuang won the final gold earlier in the day when she successfully defended her title in women's karate.

But it was the hosts who dominated over much of the fortnight, their 201 golds beating the 199 they collected at Guangzhou 2010.

Their exploits across the 40 sports at the Games reinforced China's status as Asia's sporting superpower, topping the medals table at every Asian Games since 1982, added AFP.

With about 12,000 athletes, this was the biggest Asian Games in history and had more competitors than the Olympics.

Chinese swimmers Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang were named the Games MVPs and it was in the pool where the hosts were especially impressive.

They won 28 swimming golds -- Zhang and Qin accounting for 11 of them -- to send a warning of what they can do in Paris.

Japan were a distant second in the final medals table with 52 golds, down from 75 at Jakarta in 2018, and South Korea third on 42.

India's pinpoint archers and shooters helped propel the country to 107 medals, their best showing ever.

Nepal, on the other hand, secured just two medals – one silver and a bronze. Despite the disappointing run, Nepal made some great achievements, including world records in cricket event under the games.

Nepal’s national cricket team became the first men's team to score more than 300 runs in T20 international cricket as they rewrote the record books against part-timers Mongolia.

They made 314-3 in their 20 overs, beating the previous highest of 278-3 held by Afghanistan against Ireland in 2019.

Teenager Kushal Malla crashed the fastest T20 international century, off 34 balls, and ended up 137 not out off 50.

Dipendra Singh Airee finished the innings in ridiculous fashion. He raced to his fifty off nine balls, another T20 world record, with eight sixes.

Nepal's 26 sixes were also the most scored in a T20 innings.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s silver medal haul in karate by Arika Gurung matched the country’s 25-year-old record held by taekwondo player Sabita Rajbhandari, who had secured silver in the 1998 Asian Games. It was also the first silver secured by Nepal in an individual event. In between, Nepal’s paragliding team had won a silver medal in a group event.

Likewise, Nepal’s women’s kabaddi team also won bronze medal in its Asian Games debut in otherwise forgettable performance by Nepali players.