Guangdong and Liaoning claimed gold medals in women's and men's 3x3 wheelchair basketball respectively at the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and Ninth National Special Olympic Games, which opened on Monday.
In the group stage of women's 3x3 wheelchair basketball, which has appeared at the National Games for Persons with Disabilities for the first time, the yellow-jerseyed Guangdong and Beijing had gone to overtime to decide a winner, a game that marked Beijing's only loss before the final.
Guangdong entered the final with a 6-0 record. When they met again, Guangdong started strongly. By the midpoint of the game, Guangdong had built a 6-3 lead. Beijing tried to narrow the gap with long-range shots but saw little success. Guangdong ultimately sealed the 11-7 win and the gold medal.
"Our goal was to make a top three, and we didn't expect such a good result. Winning the championship means hope and encouragement, giving these young team members, who were competing for the first time, a lot of confidence and motivation," said Chen Qi, coach of the Guangdong team.
Liaoning overcame Beijing 13-9 to win the men's 3x3 wheelchair basketball title. Early in the game, Beijing established a lead, going up 9-6 with just over three minutes remaining. But Liaoning mounted a comeback and went on to win by four and claimed the gold.
Jointly hosted by south China's Guangdong Province and special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, this year's games run from Dec. 8 to 15, gathering a total of 7,218 athletes, an increase of 2,734 from the previous edition.
Wheelchair basketball players compete with passion at National Games for Persons with Disabilities
Wheelchair basketball players compete with passion at National Games for Persons with Disabilities
Many international tourists highlight the exceptional level of personal safety and social trust when visiting China as the country sees inbound tourism on the rise after expanding visa-free policies and upgrades tourism services.
Official figures show that of the 185 million cross-border trips handled by Chinese authorities from January to March this year, the number of crossings by foreign nationals rose over 22 percent from a year ago.
Some international travelers visiting south China's Guangdong said they feel safe because of the atmosphere.
"For me, the safety comes from the vibe and the atmosphere, and that is created by things like this, the people, the bars, the shops… all of that feeds into the vibe that makes you feel safe. If I'm in a hotel, I leave my phone on the table is like a place to say this is being used. You wouldn't dream of doing that in Europe. It just wouldn't happen," said Richard Burkhill, a teacher.
Others pointed to a level of social trust that is unimaginable back home.
"You can go to a cafe or a restaurant and leave your everything on the table and just go. If you come back, your stuff will always be there. In France, that's impossible," said Marc-Antoine Catard, a French student.
Some travelers attributed their sense of security to technological convenience and public services.
"Taxis are easy to book via Didi, really easily. It's not difficult at all," said Rauf Hanif, an IT consultant.
"So much to see, new people, new things, and innovation you bring into everyday life, so much," said Akhil Khanchandani, an entrepreneur.
"The power bank is easy to find. You never feel like you are in danger that you need to go home soon because you can always rely on something else," said Marc-Antoine Catard.
"It is really interesting. What I found is it is very, very clean, safe. The metro system is quite robust, actually, it is a steadfast facility," said Devesh Dhungana, a business owner.
"In France, you always have to be really self conscious. You really have to take care of your things, but here, it's like everyone takes care of you," said Marc-Antoine Catard.
Int'l visitors hail safety, social trust in China
