China unveils delegation for Chengdu World Games

China announced its 489-member delegation, including 321 athletes, for the upcoming 2025 World Games in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, during a team-launch ceremony on Tuesday.

The 12th edition of the World Games, the highest-level international multisport event outside the Olympic Games, will be held in Chengdu from Aug 7 to 17. This marks the first time that the event will be hosted on the Chinese mainland.

The games will feature 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 events.

China is sending 321 athletes — 156 men and 165 women — to compete in the sporting gala in 152 events across 28 sports. The largest Chinese delegation in the history of the World Games will make its debut in 12 sports, including floorball, cheerleading, flying disc and powerboating.

The Chinese athletes range in age from 13 to 50, with the average age being 23.8. About two-thirds of the athletes are teachers, students, corporate employees or freelancers, highlighting the inclusiveness and openness of the sporting gala.

Notably, para-athletes have been included in the delegation for the first time. Among them is Paralympic archer Ai Xinliang, who will compete alongside nondisabled athletes in the archery event.

Ai said the mixed training sessions before the Chengdu games have allowed para-athletes and nondisabled athletes to learn from each other. For example, they discussed details such as how to maintain stability and adjust breathing while shooting, he said.

"The World Games provides a valuable opportunity for us para-athletes to compete at a major international event alongside ablebodied peers," said Ai.

"It not only promotes the games' appeal to more disabled athletes, but also helps nurture talent for the sustainable development of parasports in China," he added.

During the delegation's launch ceremony, sports authorities urged all athletes to strive for excellence while strictly upholding the principles of "zero tolerance for doping "and "impeccable sportsmanship".

Peak performance

Chinese karate competitor Gong Li, a bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, expressed her determination to deliver a peak performance at the Chengdu games, as well as her aspiration to stand atop the podium, witness the national flag raising and hear the anthem played in her homeland.

Despite karate's exclusion from the additional sports list of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, Gong affirmed that she would maintain an Olympic-level preparation mindset for the World Games.

"I want to savor every moment of international competitions," she said.

"The Chengdu games will serve as the perfect platform to demonstrate the progress I've made through four years of hard work since the Tokyo Olympics. I also hope karate will soon return to the Olympic Games," she said.

Zhong Qixin, head coach of China's sport climbing team and a former gold medalist in men's speed climbing at the 8th World Games, shared his aspirations for the upcoming home event.

"We are determined to deliver strong performances on home soil," Zhong said.

"Our focus is on giving our best and demonstrating our skills to the global audience. At the same time, we hope international athletes and coaches will excel in their competitions and enjoy both the games and the local hospitality," he said.

The key gold-medal events for the Chinese sports delegation are expected to include wushu, sport climbing, acrobatic gymnastics, roller-skating and dragon boat racing.

Meanwhile, medals are also expected in events such as bocce, dancesport, trampoline, parkour, cheerleading, karate, para-freediving and para-jujitsu.