Chengdu gearing up for World Games

The official arrival and departure services for the 2025 Chengdu World Games became fully operational on Sunday, with the first group of athletes and officials for floorball — the games' first event — arriving in the morning.

The Singaporean floorball team, consisting of 14 athletes and four officials, arrived at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, at 8:25 am. Team members passed through customs and immigration inspection via dedicated channels for the event.

"The procedures are really smooth and easy," said the team's coach, Tan Yiru.

The 12th edition of the World Games, the highest-level international multisport event outside the Olympic Games, will be held in Chengdu through Aug 17, featuring 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 events. It is the first time that the Games are being hosted on the Chinese mainland.

When talking about the upcoming floorball match on Wednesday, Tan said he was quite excited. "There's some pressure for me, but what matters most is our athletes enjoying the game," he said.

Athlete Swee Ling said she has been looking forward to the Chengdu event, as the team will have the chance to play against the top teams in floorball.

"As a first-time visitor to Chengdu, I am also hoping to visit the giant pandas in my spare time and try local food, especially the spicy hotpot," she said.

Joel Tan Zhien, consul general of Singapore in Chengdu, who welcomed the athletes and officials at the airport, said the Singaporean delegation will participate in eight sports, and he hopes the athletes will deliver their best performance.

"Nevertheless, winning isn't everything. I hope that through this event, they will help boost friendly exchanges between Singapore and China," he said.

Ou Yusong, deputy executive director of the arrival and departure center for the Chengdu World Games, said the games' arrival and departure services will be operational until Aug 18.

The arrival and departure center has also coordinated with customs and immigration inspection authorities, as well as airports and airlines, to streamline entry and exit procedures for all registered participants, Ou said.

Peng Yun, a Chengdu Customs officer, said integrated smart clearance channels are being used to improve efficiency, while designated clearance zones have been set up for oversize equipment such as kayaks and bicycles.

Chengdu Customs has also established a coordinated clearance supervision mechanism with eight other customs authorities to provide 24/7 clearance services for games participants, equipment and supplies, she said.

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn