Preparations for the 12th World Games are highlighting a strong commitment to sustainability, with efforts focused on repurposing existing venues and materials into world-class competition spaces.
The Games will be held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, from August 7 to 17, with preparations grounded in the principles of simplicity, safety, and excellence in organizing sporting events.
They will feature 34 major events, 60 sub-events, and 255 minor events. A total of 27 competition venues have been arranged across eight zones in Chengdu. Among the competition venues, 18 are existing facilities that have been adapted for the Games, while nine are temporary structures built within park environments.
Working groups have adhered to the principle of "borrowing over renting, renting over buying" to reduce equipment procurement costs, underscoring the event's eco-friendly approach.
"We are preparing for various events with a focus on safety and simplicity. The area where we are currently located will serve as a functional zone during the World Games. The houses are primarily built using materials sourced from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Mixed Team World Cup 2024. We have reused these buildings, with a total reused area of nearly 500 square meters," said Li Hui, deputy director of media operations at the Sichuan Gymnasium Venue Center.
After the World Games, the competition venues will be reused and opened to the public, aiming to play a significant role in hosting events and promoting sports development.
With preparations nearing completion, Chengdu is set to welcome the world with a spirit of openness, sustainability, and innovation as the 12th World Games approach.
World Games' venues highlight sustainability with reused facilities, materials
The Shenzhou-23 crewed space mission conducted its last comprehensive practice before launch on Friday, completing function checks of all systems and other preparation work.
The combination of the spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket was transported to the launch site last Saturday and is scheduled for launch in the coming days, with all facilities and equipment at the launch site in good condition, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Carried out by the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Xi'an Satellite Control Center, and various control stations under the coordination of the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, the drill simulated all stages of the launch mission, including pre-launch preparations, liftoff, climb, and the in-orbit phase.
"The joint practice is to test the system's communication links, command capability, equipment, and personnel. Based on the current progress, everything is normal. What's going on in parallel is a full-system gas leak detection," He said.
The rehearsal validated the reliability of key systems, including the rocket, the spaceship, the launch site, the control and communication equipment, and the coordination between different systems. It also verified the functionality and technical status of the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft-rocket combination.
"The Shenzhou-23 spaceship is in the third batch of spacecraft after the completion of the construction of the space station. It incorporates many new quality control measures, and its payload transport capacity, reliability, and safety have all been significantly improved," said Li Zhe, an employee of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
With all facilities in good condition, the Jiuquan launch site will later conduct rocket propellant filling and launch operations.
Search and recovery drills are also underway at the landing site, in preparation for the return of the Shenzhou-21 crew.
Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship ready for launch
