Chengdu to hold destined splendid Universiade, says organizing committee official

BEIJING, April 19 (Xinhua) -- With the 100-day countdown to the Chengdu World University Games underway, Wang Jiayi, vice president of the organizing committee and vice minister of education, emphasized that Chengdu would host "a Universiade that is destined to be splendid."

At a press conference on Wednesday, organizing committee officials discussed the preparations for the Games. Wang said that despite two postponements due to COVID-19, Chengdu has always kept its promise to the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and students worldwide, doing its best to prepare for the Games.

"After four years of preparation, Chengdu has constructed high-quality venues and facilities and cultivated a rigorous and professional team to run the Games," Wang said, "This is a Universiade that is destined to be splendid."

The organization of the competition is progressing smoothly. According to the organizing committee, the Chengdu Universiade's current competition organization system has been established and will continue to improve through a series of test events.

Additionally, the 49 venues of the Games were put into use in 2021 and will undergo testing and acceptance again in the near future. 20,000 volunteers for the Games have entered the training phase, and more than 1.3 million people have registered for urban volunteer services.

Wang believed that the Chengdu FISU Games will not only be a sports event but also a cultural event.

"The Universiade has made sufficient arrangements for the interaction of the world's youth," Wang said, citing the inclusion of park city-themed art exhibitions, intangible cultural heritage displays, Chinese and foreign youth interaction through dance and Sichuan Opera, up-close viewing of giant pandas, and trips to city museums in the plan.

"The World Academic Congress will also be held during the Universiade; we will organize various forms of sports-centered academic seminars, such as special reports, expert dialogues, round-table salons, and panel salons," Wang stated.

The Universiade is expected to improve national fitness. According to the committee, the venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, as long as they meet the conditions, will be open to the public for free or at a low cost during non-competition times. Additionally, the Games have led to increased youth participation in sports.

Registration for the Games is currently underway, and Wang was confident about the achievements of the Chinese delegation.

"The Chinese delegation will emphasize on the competitions and communications with athletes from other countries and regions on the field, and we hope to achieve a double harvest in sports and in sportsmanship," Wang added.