On the night of
August 23, the symbolic flame of the 26th World University Games
went out slowly, marking the ending of the 12-day sports gala in
the city of Shenzhen. Nearly 8,000 athletes from 152 countries and
regions enjoyed a vigorous sports festival in the young city.
In keeping with
the slogan of the Universiade "Start Here—Make a Difference,"
enjoying the games, communicating and celebrating became as
important as the athletes' gold medals. In Shenzhen, competition
reverted to the basic ideals of sportsmanship. Here, losers gained
as much applause as winners.
This year's
Universiade attracted much attention from Chinese audiences.
Statistics from national TV station CCTV show audience ratings
reached as high as 1 percent, higher than the NBA and second only
to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Today, the audience's interests
don't only involve star athletes or celebrity teams. Amateur
competition has become a favorite as well. Some Chinese netizens
regarded this year's Universiade as "a big international
party."
The flexible
schedule of the Universiade reflected the emphasis on people's
participation. For instance, due to the relaxed rules governing
registration for the games, the number of teams increased nearly to
the point of being out of control. Different schedules, different
purposes for participating in this event, different feelings about
winning or losing, a simple and casual opening ceremony and
firework-free closing ceremony all made this year's Universiade
different from other previous sports events.
Shenzhen, a city
only 30 years old, fulfilled its promise of holding a Universiade
that "makes a difference." The 14 million residents of the city
voluntarily opened green passages for it and adopted eco-friendly
transportation methods. Shenzhen's people have become
higher-caliber citizens because of the event.
Because of the
Universiade, Shenzhen has built or renovated 67 sports venues.
After the event, they will be important locations for the city to
encourage all residents to participate in daily exercise. The
welfare of Shenzhen's people has been further improved due to a
series of projects, such as building refurbishment, rail transit
construction and river water and air pollution treatment. In
addition, with the precious opportunity of hosting a Universiade,
Shenzhen made bold attempts to adopt new methods of social
management. Emphasizing a "youthful, concise, low-carbon and less
disruptive" competition was also a great innovation in the concept
of big sporting events.
The Shenzhen
Universiade was really different. Although the curtain has been
lowered, for many participants and Shenzhen, their dreams have just
started.
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