Guangzhou: On the evening of November 9, the 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China were inaugurated at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center in Guangzhou. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and declared the Games open. This event marks the first National Games jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
According to Ghana News Agency, the 37 delegations participating in the Games come from all of China's provinces, autonomous regions, centrally administered municipalities, the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and three industrial sports associations. Speeches during the ceremony were delivered by Huang Kunming, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Committee; John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of the Hong Kong SAR; Sam Hou Fai, chief executive of the Macao SAR; and Gao Zhidan, director of the General Administration of Sport of China. Oaths were taken by Chen Aisen, Iao Chon-in, and Ken Yuen on behalf of the athletes, coaches, and referees, respectively.
The opening ceremony featured a cultural and sports performance titled 'Dreaming of the Future,' which unfolded in three chapters: 'Shared Roots, Shared Origin,' 'Shared Hearts, Shared Bonds,' and 'Shared Dreams, Shared Fulfillment.' The performance creatively blended sports elements, artistic performance, and technology to bring the Games' theme, 'Passionate National Games, Vibrant Greater Bay Area,' to life. Lingnan cultural elements were prominently featured, including Cantonese opera, Cantonese pop, dragon and lion dances, and Yingge Dance. The torch relay and cauldron-lighting ceremony were thrilling highlights of the event. The torch relay began on November 2 across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, culminating in its arrival at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center.
Enthusiastically anticipated, 12 torchbearers, including Ma Lin, Chen Ruolin, Wong Kam-po, Fang Wenhao, Guo Jingjing, Wang Xinyu, Wang Liuyi, Wang Qianyi, Liang Weikeng, Lai Xuanzhi, Xian Dongmei, and Rong Zhixing, relayed the flame. The final torchbearers, Su Bingtian, Cheung Ka Long, and Li Yi, jointly lit the Games' cauldron. The opening ceremony concluded at 9:27 p.m., energized by the theme song 'Hearts as One.'
The ceremony was attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, IOC honorary president for life Thomas Bach, and other overseas guests invited to observe the Games. The 15th National Games of China are scheduled to conclude on November 21, featuring more than 14,000 athletes competing in sporting events and roughly 11,000 participants in mass-participation events.