The 7th National Ethnic Games are to be held on September 6 in Yinchuan City, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. According to the organizers, everything is ready for the sports event and registration and reception activities are under way.
Recently, happy events came to Yinchuan City one after another: an 8-lane, 25 kilometers long avenue, that signals construction of the “New Yinchuan” is completed; Yinchuan Gymnasium, the largest-scaled gym with the most advanced facilities in Ningxia opens to the public; an 80,000 square meter athletic village is completed. As the 7th traditional national ethnic games are drawing near, “New Yinchuan” is being splendidly decorated for the festival occasion. Meanwhile, the implementation of landscape engineering and other environmental decorative work is still being carried out.
According to officials of the preparatory committee of the games, this is the first national ethnic games of the new century. It’s also the first time for Ningxia to hold such a grand sports event. All the preparations for the games are now in order.
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has raised funds of about 250 million yuan over the past four years for nine building projects. So far the construction and refurbishment of the nine gymnasiums has been nearly completed. The Yinchuan stadium and gymnasium, Shahu dragon boat venue and horseracing venue as well as the Shizuishan stadium and gymnasium are now open to the public with the refurbishment of the stadiums and environmental improvement work entering into the final phase. In addition, Xixia Plaza and three other plazas have been completed for entertainment and relaxation as well as body building.
The registration and reception activity is now under way. A total of 3,000 young volunteers will provide services for delegates and audiences during the games, such as receptions, tour guiding, translation, ceremonies and hospitality. The 8,800 square meter athletic village that includes a 5,600 square meter light-steel-frame dining hall has a capacity to hold and provide accommodation for 5,000 athletes and their coaches. Ningxia, also for the first time, has established a video broadcast news center and Internet news center for the games. In the mean time, 350 buses are all in place while intense service work, including communication, medical care and tour guiding, are methodically carried out.
The newly established Yinchuan Gymnasium is provided with the broadcast
sound equipment, illumination, stage lighting, TV monitoring, fire protection, as well as the score display system which are all of an advanced level. The gymnasium includes a competition and training area, with a capacity audience of 5,655. The interesting competition event “pearl ball” is going to be held there.
At the Shahu horse racing venue, the Tibetan delegation that arrived a month ago has spared no effort in intensive training.
According to the organizers, the games consists of 14 medal sports and 124 show events. As the host of the games, the Ningxia delegation will join in all the competition events.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Su Xiangdong, translated by Li Xiao, September 1, 2003)
