Low-altitude sports forge stronger ties between China and Türkiye

GUIYANG, China, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Plunging off the Balinghe Bridge, Turkish extreme sports athlete Hasan Dokemeoglu performed breathtaking flips in midair before deploying his parachute at the last moment, stunning spectators below.

This daring "leap" marked Hasan's second participation in the International High Bridge Extreme Sports Invitational Tournament in Guizhou. Located in the mountainous southwest of China, Guizhou provides an excellent environment for outdoor sports. This year, 30 athletes from 18 countries and regions, including three from Türkiye, competed in the tournament.

"There are abundant mountains both in Guizhou and many cities in Türkiye. However, Türkiye doesn't boast as many world-class high bridges as Guizhou. It thus makes Guizhou an ideal destination for low-altitude extreme sports," Hasan said, noting that he performed better this year than in his previous appearance.

He relished the thrill of low-altitude skydiving from the world's highest commercial bungee jump site, certified by Guinness World Records at 370 meters, atop the Balinghe Bridge.

Murat Yuzer, a Turkish judge at the event, presided over his third low-altitude sports competition in China. "The bridges in Guizhou provide exceptional conditions for low-altitude sports," he remarked, expressing hope that a soon-to-be-built bridge, set to be the world's highest, would also welcome low-altitude sports enthusiasts.

Despite the geographical distance, low-altitude sports have fostered closer ties between Guizhou and Turkish city Fethiye, a Mediterranean coastal city in southern Türkiye known as the "Holy Land of Low-Altitude Paragliding," which has developed low-altitude sports into a local specialty.

Over the years, Fethiye and Guizhou have maintained strong cooperation in this field, spanning from exchange visits to a signed memorandum of understanding on sports friendship between the Guizhou Sports Federation and Fethiye Municipal Government.

Leveraging its rugged terrain, Guizhou has successfully promoted low-altitude sports such as paragliding, skydiving, and wingsuit flying across its bridges, mountains, and valleys. The province aims to integrate mountain sports and tourism.

In 2019, Liuzhi Special District, in western Guizhou, signed a sports cooperation agreement with Fethiye, aiming to replicate Fethiye's success in its Zangke River Scenic Area.

Shang Chao, the operation manager of the scenic area, shared plans to enhance international cooperation, build paragliding training facilities, and establish Liuzhi as a popular destination for international paragliding competitions, attracting athletes from around the world.