National Games for a Healthy China
August 27, Tianjin: The cauldron is lit at the opening ceremony of the 13th Chinese National Games, dubbed China’s “mini-olympics.” Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the opening of the event. Among those present at the ceremony was President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, who’s on a visit to Beijing inspecting the preparations for the 2022 Winter Games. This year, the quadrennial Games, themed “National Games for a Healthy China,” drew a total of 12,721 athletes to participate in 417 events across 33 sports, plus 7,620 amateurs in 126 events of 19 mass programs.
The country’s top comprehensive sport gala, inaugurated in 1959, serves as an important occasion for athletes to test their mettle for the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and to nurture future stars.