How effective is the preparatory work for the countdown to the Chengdu Universiade? Let's get to know → Youth | Universiade | Preparations | Countdown
July 13th is the 15 day countdown to the Chengdu Universiade, and all preparations are nearing the final sprint stage. How is the situation? What are the details worth paying attention to? After the COVID-19, when the desire for communication and interaction becomes stronger, what kind of youth event will college students from all over the world meet in Chengdu and wait for them?
How has the comprehensive drill been going in the past two days?
Xiong Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Chengdu Universiade and Director of the Chengdu Sports Bureau: On July 12th and 13th, we spent two days conducting the second comprehensive exercise of the Universiade. July 12th is a complete replication of the entire process from July 26th. It is expected that more than 1200 people will enter the country on July 26th, with a relatively large scale of entry. Therefore, we mainly conduct exercises on flight entry and exit, arrival, transportation transfer, check-in in Dayun Village, and handling relevant check-in procedures. On the afternoon of the 12th, we also had an experience of urban cultural exchange activities. The drill on July 13th was completely arranged according to the actual competition schedule on July 29th, the first day after the opening ceremony. Why choose July 29th? Because for an international large-scale comprehensive event, the first day of the competition is often the most complex and prone to problems. On the 13th, we conducted exercises for 17 projects in 38 venue centers, following the original procedures of training, competition, transportation, and venue operations. We also conducted awards and sports demonstrations according to the procedures. Looking back at the exercises over the past two days, overall they went very smoothly. At present, the Universiade has entered the final sprint stage, and the overall preparation work is also being vigorously and orderly promoted. It can be said that it is fully ready and ready to wait for the opening.
How effective was the preparation work for the Chengdu Universiade? What is the next focus?
Xiong Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Chengdu Universiade and Director of the Chengdu Sports Bureau, said that the exercises in the past two days have achieved the purpose of testing the preliminary work and further identifying and filling in gaps. During the drill, we found that there are still some details that need to be further improved and enhanced in the last 15 days.
① Large scale sports events require overall coordination and adaptation, with each sector having a clear understanding of their responsibilities and requiring closer coordination with each other.
② Regarding international standards, I think there is still room for further improvement in following international conventions and formalities and details.
After the drill, we will further review and summarize in the 15 days before the future opening, continuously improving the level of our entire competition preparation. In addition, on July 22nd, the Universiade Village will officially welcome college athletes to move in. The week before the opening, from July 22nd to 28th, will be a golden period for our delegations to provide feedback, collect issues, and further improve the preparatory work. So we will also make good use of this timeline to further improve all the details and ensure a more complete and smooth attitude to welcome the opening of the Universiade.
What does two extensions mean for the preparatory work? Is it easier or more stressful?
Xiong Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Chengdu Universiade and Director of the Chengdu Sports Bureau: I think both aspects have their own strengths. On the one hand, the Chengdu Universiade may be the only large-scale comprehensive sports event in world history that has been postponed twice. From 2021 to 2022, and then to 2023, everyone still suffered a lot during this process, which was quite difficult. Because we face a transition every time we delay. The first extension was from a closed loop tournament to a closed loop tournament. After the second extension, with the improvement of the global epidemic situation, we have shifted from a closed loop tournament to a closed loop tournament. So the entire team is constantly shifting their strategic thinking and preparation work, and this process is quite tortuous because everyone needs to constantly change their concepts and work methods. On the other hand, due to sufficient preparation time, we have gone through 4 years of preparation, which can be said to have made our entire team more mature and professional. From this perspective, I believe it has also laid a solid foundation for the successful hosting of the Universiade.
How do you view the Universiade? It is not only a stage for college athletes to compete, but also a platform for communication
Xiong Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Chengdu Universiade and Director of the Chengdu Sports Bureau: The Universiade, the Olympic Games, and the Asian Games are all comprehensive sports events. The Olympic and Asian Games place greater emphasis on competitive level, which is a more powerful sprint and challenge for humanity towards the limits. In addition to being a comprehensive sports event, the Universiade also has a very important feature, which is that global young people and university students will use this sports platform to engage in cultural exchange and emotional integration among young people. Therefore, it is more important as a platform for communication. It is precisely because of this characteristic of the Universiade that, in addition to preparing for the competition and organizing it well, we also pay special attention to providing a platform for young people to communicate. For example, in the Dayun Village, we have prepared a variety of cultural activities, showcasing intangible cultural heritage and showcasing some unique local cultures in Chengdu, including calligraphy and painting. At the same time, a talent exhibition platform has been established for college students from all over the world to showcase their talents and promote cultural exchange among different countries. Outside of the Dayun Village, we also provide opportunities for college students to enter the city. We have prepared a variety of cultural experience spots for everyone, allowing them to have close contact with cultural attractions such as Chengdu's Panda Base, Jinsha Site, and Wangjiang Park. At the same time, we also have the opportunity to visit Sanxingdui, go to many beautiful attractions, and experience the beautiful scenery, local customs, and traditions. In addition, we have also prepared some opportunities for everyone to enter universities, communities, and interact with Chengdu citizens. By building a platform and organizing a series of diverse cultural exchange activities, global college athletes can better communicate with each other, and also understand the real China, feel the respected and lovely image of China, and feel the real and lovely image of Chengdu.
Journalist observation | Cultural characteristics in the main media center of the Chengdu Universiade
CCTV reporter Jiang Lin: The Chengdu Universiade Main Media Center, I can understand it as a place of work, but I see it more as a "journalist's home". In front of my sight is the retail store of the Universiade franchise products, and now Rongbao is out of stock every day. In front of me on the right is the Panda Post Office, and there is also a unique dining area on the second floor that allows sports journalists from all over the world to experience China's culinary culture. I think food itself is the best way to exchange ideas. For example, there will definitely be many friends from South America coming this time. We all know that chili peppers were introduced to China as an ornamental plant and became popular on Chinese dining tables. We can also allow friends from the origin of chili peppers to experience the flourishing of chili peppers. I think the collision of these delicacies and emotional communication is very interesting. And in the main media center of the Universiade, there are many places worth paying attention to, including a leisure area set up on the rooftop for sports journalists, where there is calligraphy, painting, and traditional Chinese tea ceremony. I think this place is also a window for sports journalists to learn about China.
Experience the charm of Chengdu, what are the beautiful and delicious scenery, and unique experiences that cannot be missed?
CCTV reporter Jiang Lin: First of all, it must be our panda culture. I think this is the warmest Chinese business card, and the panda base has made a lot of preparations. I believe this place will make many people feel warm in their hearts. From the perspective of the inheritance of Chinese civilization, Sichuan in Chengdu, including the ancient Shu civilization gathered in Sanxingdui, is also a window to understand China.
In addition, on the morning of the 13th, I also went to the martial arts competition venue where all elements were practiced. I noticed a detail that out of over 1000 seats in the competition area, 100 seats were specifically reserved for athletes from other events in the Universiade Village. Before they came to China, there was also an interest survey questionnaire to understand which projects and teams everyone would be interested in. Besides rowing, basketball, and football, you may not expect that many of the athletes participating in the Universiade are interested in Chinese martial arts. So, a stand area was specially set aside on site for the athletes of the Universiade who did not compete on that day. I think this also reflects that the Universiade itself is an opportunity for athletes from various countries to exchange emotions and get to know each other.
