This aerial photo taken on April 19, 2023 shows the stadium for the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade and other sports venues at Dong'an Lake Sports Park in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)
CHENGDU, China, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Here is a background profile of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu.
When and Where:
The 31st FISU World University Games is set to run from July 28 to August 8 in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, becoming the third city in the Chinese mainland to host the biennial Summer Universiade, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011.
The opening ceremony will take place in the Dong'an Lake Sports Park on Friday evening.
A tourist poses for photos with Rongbao, mascot of the Chengdu Universiade, in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, July 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Jiang Hongjing)
Slogan, Mascot & Logo:
Slogan - "Chengdu Makes Dreams Come True."
Mascot - A panda called Rongbao will serve as the mascot. Rongbao appears with a torch in his hand. Rongbao's facial feature also resemble the style of make-up used in Sichuan's traditional opera.
Logo - The main part of the logo is developed from the letter "U", in line with the FISU logo. It also evokes inspiration from the sunbird, a symbol of ancient Sichuan culture, which embodies people's desire and resolve to better themselves.
A screenshot shows the Chengdu Universiade pictograms.
Sports:
The Chengdu Universiade will feature 269 events across 18 sports, including 15 compulsory sports, namely archery, artistic gymnastics, athletics, badminton, basketball, diving, fencing, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and water polo, as well as three optional sports chosen by the host country - rowing, shooting, and Wushu.
The Chengdu Universiade torch.
Torch & Torch Relay
Taken from Chengdu's abbreviation "Rong", the name of the Chengdu Universiade torch "Ronghuo" also implies "integration" and "inclusiveness" in Chinese.
The front side of the torch features a giant panda, with its top incorporating Chengdu's city image of "Sun and Immortal Birds" and its side looking like the Bronze Standing Figure from the Sanxingdui Ruins. The flame above the torch is in the shape of "31", denoting the 31st edition of the Universiade.
After collecting the flame in Turin, Italy, host city of the first FISU World University Games, a launch ceremony of the torch relay for the 31st FISU Summer World University Games was held at the Chengdu Tianfu International Airport on June 8.
A photo taken on June 8, 2023 shows the World University Games flame at the Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)
The flame was then transferred to Beijing on June 10 for a torch relay involving five cities: Beijing; Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province; Shenzhen; Chongqing; and Yibin, Sichuan Province.
The flame will return to Chengdu and light the main cauldron of the Universiade when it officially opens on July 28.
A photo taken on July 16, 2023 shows the delegations' apartments in the Universiade Village, Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Xu Bingjie)
Venues:
The sporting events of the Chengdu Universiade will take place in 27 competition venues, a combination of brand new structures and existing ones.
Located on the campus of Chengdu University, the Chengdu University Games Village is the first of its kind to be based on university campus since the inauguration of the FISU Summer World University Games.
The Village can accommodate approximately 11,000 people. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, it offers top-notch services in catering, fitness, commerce, leisure, and cultural exchanges, including autonomous driving bus and latest AI interpreting services.
China announced its delegation for the 31st FISU World University Games to be held in Chengdu on June 12. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)
Team China:
China's delegation for the Chengdu Universiade comprises over 700 members, including 411 athletes from over 100 universities across the country who will compete in all the sports.
The average age of athletes is 22.9 years old. Among the 206 male athletes and 205 female athletes, 387 will make their debuts at the summer Universiade in Chengdu. 344 are representing China for the first time at an international multi-sport event, and 34 have participated in the Olympics. ■
