Military World Games hailed a success

Athletes from many competing countries heap praise on record-breaking event

More than 9,000 military athletes from 109 countries competed at the 7th CISM Military World Games, which ended in late October. The 10-day event, held in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, saw a great level of professional competition from the athletes and all-around hospitality from the host city.

Seven world records and 85 records in the international military sports circle were achieved at the Games. China, with 133 golds, ranked top on the medal table, followed by Russia and Brazil.

The Games broke many of its own records, such as being the first to host all events in the same city, the first to have a new athletes' village built from scratch and the first to open all competitions to the public.

At the closing ceremony on Oct 27, Herve Piccirillo, president of the International Military Sports Council, the main organizer of the Games, praised the 7th Military World Games as "historic" and "amazing".

He said the highest award should be given to anyone who has participated and contributed to the success of the event.

Heroes of honor

The 7th CISM Military World Games welcomed 9,308 military athletes to compete for 329 gold medals in 27 sports events. The number of participants and competition events were also records for the Games.

The Chinese delegation, also the largest sports group in the Games with a record 553 members, participated in all events except golf. Russia, which has the most gold medals in the Games' history, sent eight Olympic champions and 62 world champions this time. Brazil sent the second-largest delegation.

In total, 67 military athletes participating in the Games were gold medalists at Olympics, World Championships or World Cups, demonstrating the high-level of professionalism at the event.

Besides sports like athletics and swimming, the Games featured a series of military sports, such as aeronautical pentathlon, military pentathlon, naval pentathlon and parachuting.

Chinese athlete Pan Yucheng won the gold medal in the men's individual military pentathlon. He also broke the record for the 500m obstacle run. Pan was once a soldier before becoming a truck driver and then a soldier once more.

Military pentathlon is one of the most challenging sports in the Games with five disciplines: shooting, obstacle run, obstacle swimming, throwing and cross-country. It's regarded as a test of strength, speed, willpower, agility and endurance.

In the women's final of the modern pentathlon, Wang Wei, Bian Yufei and Wang Shiqi, who all at one point had fallen behind, came back through the field to help the Chinese team take the top spot. In women's football final, the North Korean and Chinese teams were tied 1-1, before a late goal in extra time put the North Koreans ahead to take the gold. Wojciech Nowicki from Poland won gold in the pole vault despite breaking his finger in the final while trying to break his own record of 5.81m.

The path to gold is never easy for any athlete and the Games featured many touching moments.

A total of 48 disabled military athletes took part in the Games in sports such as athletics and archery.

Piccirillo said the participation of disabled military athletes is an indispensable part of international military sports events and this year's Games attached great importance to it.

Friendship through sport

Many athletes said what they gained from competing in the Games in Wuhan were more than just medals, but also happy memories and friendships.

At the women's final for taekwondo in the 46kg weight category, Yvette Yong, former World Championship bronze medalist from Canada, competed against Chinese athlete Wu Jiayi. When Wu defeated Yong, she took off her helmet and embraced her opponent.

China's Lu Pinpin broke the world record in the obstacle race section of the military pentathlon. Lu finished the women's race in 2min 10.9sec, two seconds faster than the previous record. Three days later, she broke another record in the individual military pentathlon. After her victory, which fell on Oct 23, her 23rd birthday, she invited the athletes that she had competed against onto the field to celebrate with her.

"Friendship through Sport" is the spirit promoted by the International Military Sports Council.

Brigadier General Hazim Ali Ibrahim, head of sports of the Egyptian Armed Forces, told China Daily in a previous interview that Egypt sent the largest delegation in its history to the Games, and the event has enhanced friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

At the athletes' village, athletes got to experience traditional Chinese operas, such as stories from Journey to the West. Liao Yong, from a local Peking Opera house, said the foreign audiences showed great interest in Peking Opera with some even learning the basic moves after the performance.

During the Games, more than nine performances related to traditional Chinese culture were staged at the village.

Indonesian athlete Agus Prayogo bought a Chinese painting at the village and told Xinhua News Agency that he loves Chinese culture, especially Chinese characters written with a calligraphy brush. The painting he chose featured the character jing, which means tranquillity in Chinese.

After the competition days, athletes from different countries often played basketball at the village. On its signature wall they left hundreds of notes in which military athletes expressed their wishes in different languages. Someone wrote, "Welcome to Wuhan, China." Someone else wrote, "I love China." Another wrote, "To world peace."

The Games also brought many people to Wuhan to spectate, and its commercial street and gaming hall during the event were crowded with people day and night.

Officials of the International Military Sports Council said the most important thing is to build friendship through sports.

At the opening ceremony of the Games, some 20 Russian athletes paid homage to martyrs of the Soviet Air Force at a park in Wuhan. About 2,000 Russian air force volunteers helped China in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

Piccirillo said the most successful part of the Games was to have brought people closer together beyond sports.

Military sports provide an opportunity for sharing and communication, and build a bridge to narrow differences and promote peace, he added.

Hospitality throughout city

Wuhan, the host city, excelled in making its guests feel welcome, local officials said.

Colonel Dorah Mamby Koita, secretary-general of the International Military Sports Council, said the success of the Games was also in part due to Wuhan's first-class sports stadium and facilities.

Arthur Zanetti, a Brazilian gymnast who won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, spoke highly of the facilities at the newly built gymnastics arena.

Kersten Ansgar Holthausen, coach of German beach volleyball team, said it's the first time for them to have competed by a river. He said the beach volleyball center in Hanyang district of Wuhan is one of the most beautiful venues he has visited.

Piccirillo said the construction of the venues was of a high level and was one of the many highlights at the Games.

The 7th CISM Military World Games was the largest international event Wuhan has hosted. The city set aside lanes for teams and officials attending the event, and the city's transport bureau recommended residents use public transport so as to avoid creating congestion on the roads.

To encourage people, discounted subway tickets were provided during the event. Data from the local government showed 95 percent of athletes, technicians and journalists were able to attend sports events on time.

The hospitality and generosity of the people of Wuhan was also lauded. At a women's basketball group stage, China defeated the United States 119 - 71. Paul Parker, coach of the US basketball team, said he felt grateful that the crowd applauded no matter which side scored.

Volunteers were deployed not only at the venues but also in public spaces across the city. More than 10,000 people applied to be a volunteer on the first day of the recruitment drive in March. Together, 26,000 volunteers attended the Games while over 200,000 volunteers helped out all over Wuhan.

Jorge Antonio Smicelato, head of the Brazilian delegation, said the hospitality of Wuhan people was beyond his expectation, adding the locals were willing to provide help inside and outside the village.

(China Daily Global 11/13/2019 page4)