China's 15th National Games, the country's highest-level and largest national multi-sport event, closed in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on Friday evening.
At the closing ceremony, athletes from 37 delegations representing China's provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and three sports associations marched into the venue amid uplifting music and warm applause from the audience.
Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, officially declared the Games close.
Flags of the National Games of People's Republic of China and the 15th National Games were lowered at the ceremony, and the cauldron flame was extinguished amid melodious sound of the cellos.
For the first time in its 66-year history, the nation's premier multi-sport event expanded beyond the mainland, with Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao jointly hosting a multi-city celebration of sport that also served as a new platform for regional integration.
The quadrennial event passed the baton to Hunan Province in central China.
The 15th National Games, which officially opened on Nov 9, featured 34 sports and 419 events in the competitive program, as well as 23 sports and 166 events in the mass participation program.
The Games set eight world records, five world youth records, 13 Asian records, 10 Asian youth records, 14 national records, and seven national youth records across disciplines, including athletics, swimming, shooting, weightlifting, track cycling, and sport climbing.
Notably, athletes in 12 events at the Games delivered performances that surpassed the winning marks set at the Paris Olympics, underscoring the growing global competitiveness of Chinese sports.
China's 15th National Games close in Shenzhen
