EditorialNational Games a step towards China being sporting superpower
China’s premier sporting event will showcase strength of the Greater Bay Area, and President Xi Jinping’s ambitions for the sector to add value to economic growth
A spectacular ceremony in Guangzhou last night marked the opening of the National Games that promises to fuel China’s sporting ambitions and act as a catalyst for further development of the Greater Bay Area.
Medals, including two golds for Hong Kong, had already been won with some events under way. But the ceremony, featuring an impressive blend of traditional culture with special southern China features and cutting-edge technology, signals the bay area-hosted Games have moved into top gear.
This week will see the rugby sevens, track cycling and golf begin in Hong Kong, with the fencing and triathlon starting on Saturday. There is also table tennis in Macau, swimming in Shenzhen and athletics in Guangzhou. Events will be staged in all 11 Greater Bay Area cities, amid high hopes and expectations for the cross-border hub. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, speaking at the ceremony, described being a co-host as an immense honour. There is much at stake.
President Xi Jinping set the tone, meeting athletes in Guangzhou yesterday as well as Kirsty Coventry, president of the International Olympic Committee and her predecessor, Thomas Bach. Xi spoke of China’s development into a strong sporting nation and said it would contribute more to global sports governance. This is in keeping with Beijing’s aim to expand the sector, recognising its value as a driver of economic growth, and to play a bigger role generally in shaping international rules. The president, who declared the Games open, also highlighted the importance of the Greater Bay Area in driving China’s modernisation. He pointed the way last week, urging Guangdong officials to strengthen technology, infrastructure and regulatory cooperation with Hong Kong and Macau.
Xi called for more cooperation, connectivity and integration to build “a dynamic and internationally competitive first class bay area”.
The Games, featuring more than 400 events, require the hosts, with their different systems, to demonstrate all of these attributes, with detailed planning and careful operation in areas ranging from ticketing to tourism, crowd control and security. Success depends on a close working relationship. The cross-border men’s road race for cyclists was a perfect example, starting and ending in Zhuhai, but also crossing through Hong Kong and Macau. It ran smoothly.