BEIJING: Chinese university athletes said they are eager to compete against their global counterparts at the upcoming 31st FISU Summer World University Games, to once again show the world a welcoming and inclusive Chengdu and China, as the torch relay for the Games kicked off on Saturday at Peking University in Beijing.
Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, lit the torch from a caldron at the ceremony and announced the start of the relay.
Leonz Eder, FISU acting president, said in a video message that the flame of the University Games represents light, unity, friendship and peace, and also the skill, courage and tenacity of university athletes who have to strike a balance between competitive sports and study.
Young representatives from many countries and regions will together deliver a powerful message of “working together to create a brighter future for humanity” as torchbearers of the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games, Eder said.
They represent the power of collaboration for the betterment of humanity’s shared future, he added.
Thirty-one torchbearers participated in the event, carrying the flame past the university’s landmarks. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
