The Olympics in Tokyo ended a month ago, but the Chinese still feel hungry for more. A few days ago, China's "mini Olympics" began in a city that was the capital of the country for 1,000 years.

Athletes compete at sports facilities in Shaanxi Province. The event kicked off on September 15 with the opening ceremony at the packed Xi'an Olympic Sports Center Stadium. The venue was put into operation only a year ago.

© Xi’an Municipal Government

This stadium will also be the arena for the closing ceremony on September 27. In addition, athletics competitions will be held there. The program of the Games is practically the same as that presented in Tokyo. The hosts only added Wusu, which is a Chinese martial art.

This is a great test for Shaanxi, because organizing a large-scale event during a pandemic brings with it many challenges. Suffice it to say that around 12,000 athletes are expected to compete in 35 sports. They represent 37 teams from various provinces, regions and sports associations. Spectators have to provide test certificates within 72 hours prior to entering any venues.

© Xi’an Municipal Government

The 14th National Games is a chance to accelerate city's development. It can already be said that urban planning has improved and the flourishing sports industry is giving impetus to other industries.

One should not forget about promoting physical culture in society, to which the organization of mass fitness activities for the local population is to contribute. By the end of this year, there will be no less than 400 of them.

Author: Tomasz Sobura

© Xi’an Municipal Government