World University Games Village opens in Chengdu

The Chengdu FISU World University Games Village opened on Saturday in Chengdu, Sichuan province, with members of the Chinese delegation becoming the first guests to move in.

Wang Jiayi, vice-minister of education and vice-president of the sports event's organizing committee, said the village's opening means that the home for all athletes during the games is now fully ready.

"Standing in the village, we now send a sincere invitation to athletes from all countries and regions to take part in the celebration of youth, enhance our mutual understanding, promote friendship and carry forward the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind," Wang said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the village, Eric Saintrond, secretary-general and CEO of the International University Sports Federation, said that the village is "one of the best we've ever had" and hailed the ceremony as the best of its kind.

"After two years of postponement, athletes from all over the world will gather in Chengdu to compete and explore the future together. The village's opening is a symbolic moment," Saintrond said.

"We know the great efforts the organizing committee, the Chinese authorities and thousands of volunteers have put in to make this possible. This village will be one of the greatest legacies of the Chengdu FISU Games," he said.

The 800,000-square-meter village, located on the campus of Chengdu University, can accommodate 11,000 people. It caters to the residential, operational and transportation requirements of the games. In the village, athletes will be provided with food and accommodations, and will have access to fitness facilities, leisure and entertainment facilities, cultural exchanges and other services.

As the largest noncompetition venue of the games, the village will provide 24-hour services for athletes and team officials from Saturday to Aug 11.

According to Xian Rongsheng, the village head, the village will offer various foods that cater to the tastes of athletes from all over the world. It is equipped with self-driving buses, a new generation of intelligent translation system and other technological facilities.

Moreover, various cultural activities, including those aimed at highlighting traditional Chinese culture and promoting cultural exchanges between young people from different delegations, will be hosted in the village, he said.

A welcoming ceremony for the Chinese sports delegation was also held on Saturday.

The Chinese delegation comprises more than 700 people, including 411 athletes from more than 100 universities in 25 provincial regions. The athletes will participate in all 18 sports of the games from Friday to Aug 8. The event, originally scheduled to be held in 2021, had to be postponed twice due to COVID-19.

Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial event, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011.

At present, more than 300 members of the Chinese delegation are staying in the village, including those taking part in the taekwondo, judo, tennis, table tennis, archery, swimming, diving, men's water polo, track and field, men's basketball, women's basketball and rhythmic gymnastics competitions.

As one of the first athletes to live in the village, Tang Qianhui, a tennis player from the Chinese delegation, said: "The environment here is very good and the volunteers are very enthusiastic. I will do my best to achieve good results in the games."