Brilliant traditional, new sports on competition day 1 of China's national minority games

China

Brilliant traditional, new sports on competition day 1 of China's national minority games

2024-11-23 18:35 Last Updated At：19:07

Athletes from various ethnic groups across China competed in both traditional sports, such as crossbow shooting and dragon boat racing, and new additions like the debut of coconut tree climbing race on the first official competition day of China's 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities.

Opening in Sanya, a coastal city of Hainan Province, on Friday, the grand event gathers nearly 7,000 athletes representing 35 delegations across China who will compete in 18 sports and three demonstration sports. The nine-day event will conclude on November 30.

Competitors at the event are expected to not only showcase their skills and traditional culture, but also enjoy the fun of sports.

Inspired by local people's physical labor of climbing trees to harvest coconuts in Hainan, the coconut tree climbing race made its first appearance this year.

Twelve teams from provinces including Hainan and north China's Hebei participated.

"I feel so excited. I like the sport item very much. It gives us a chance to see the unique customs of different ethnic groups. It's a wonderful chance for us to have such exchanges. I'm so happy to be here," said a spectator from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

The board-shoe racing, a popular traditional sport, pits teams of three athletes wearing a single pair of wooden board shoes against each other. Originating from southwestern regions including China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the event has grown in popularity, attracting participants from northern provinces as well.

"The board-shoe racing exemplifies the sports wisdom and collaborative spirit of ethnic minorities. There are 30 teams participating in the event. The registration shows that it is increasingly popular among people of all ethnic groups. Provinces in the northern part are also actively participating in this event. It witnesses the multicultural integration and exchange among Chinese ethnic groups," said Lu Guang, leader of board-shoe racing team from Shandong.

From land-based sports like crossbow shooting and wrestling to water events such as dragon boat racing, the first day of the games featured 15 competitions. Players can not only learn from each other by competing in the field, but also forge new friendship.

"We will show our best and show Yunnan's colorful national sports culture and hard-working and simple spirit," said Li Jixin, coach of dragon boat racing team from Yunnan.

"They are rivals on the field and friends off the field. Athletes' mutual communication and discussion are also conducive to strengthening exchanges between cultures of different ethnic groups," said Guan Yuanhong, leader of the crossbow shooting team from Jiangxi.

Russia ready to talk with Ukraine at U.S. military base: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday Russia is fully prepared and willing to negotiate with Ukraine at a U.S. military facility in Anchorage, Alaska, while his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a face-to-face meeting.

At a meeting with heads of major international news agencies attending the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Russia remains prepared to pursue a negotiated settlement based on a framework discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in Anchorage in August 2025.

He said Russia is ready to accept the compromises discussed at the meeting and expressed hope that the Ukrainian side would also agree to them.

Ukraine has previously rejected the Anchorage framework, as it calls for Ukraine to cede territory.

Meanwhile, Putin said Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact and have taken complete control of the Luhansk region, 85 percent of the Donetsk region and 80 percent of the Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia's Presidential Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev said at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday that despite efforts by forces seeking to prolong the war to disrupt talks between Russia and the U.S., bilateral engagement on Ukraine has made substantive progress.

Dmitriev dismissed reports that Russia-U.S. contacts have stalled, accusing other European nations of spreading disinformation to hinder the peace process.

Dmitriev also said that on Wednesday he had spoken by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner and discussed bilateral economic cooperation.

He said the U.S. side had underscored the need to embrace peace rather than engage in constant provocations and confrontations.

The U.S. has been pushing for peace and Ukraine should join the process, Dmitriev noted, adding there were plans for further contacts with Witkoff and Kushner next week.

Later on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published an open letter to Putin, proposing to end the conflict through direct talks between the two leaders.

Relevant parties, including European countries and the U.S., should be part of the peace negotiations, the letter stated.

Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire during the talks and proposes an exchange of prisoners of war on the principle of "all for all," Zelensky also said in the letter.