BRICS Games builds sports, cultural links

The first-ever BRICS Games raised its curtain at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center on Saturday evening. 

Nearly 300 athletes from China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa participated in the BRICS Games held in Guangzhou. [Photo/Xinhua]

Some 300 athletes from the BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, will participate in men's basketball, women's volleyball and wushu competitions with a total of 10 gold medals on offer.

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 2017 BRICS Games.

The opening of the first BRICS Games marked an important consensus reached by the BRICS leaders at the Goa Summit in 2016. 

This dragon dance is performed at the opening ceremony of the BRICS Games held from June 17-21 in Guangzhou.[Photo/Xinhua]

While noting that each BRICS member country has its own distinct strengths in sports, Xi said he believes that the BRICS Games will provide a unique opportunity to improve performance, popularize traditional sports, promote sports development and enhance friendship among peoples. 

"I hope athletes on all sides will display true sportsmanship and excel in the Games," the president said in the letter. 

The games will be an important part of the cooperation between BRICS countries this year, as the annual summit will be held in the coastal city of Xiamen in September when China takes the rotating chair of the bloc. 

Among the many entertaining acts is this great acrobatics show staged specially for the opening ceremony of the BRICS Games. [Photo/cri.cn]

The 2017 BRICS Games will help facilitate sports and cultural exchanges among countries of the influential bloc, according to an official with the State General Administration of Sport. 

"The games, comprised of three events - basketball, volleyball and the traditional martialarts, or wushu - will be of great importance to promoting close sports and cultural ties between China and the other four members," said Yang Shande, deputy chief of the Competitive Sports Department of the General Administration of Sport of China. 

"Traditional culture like Chinese lion dances as well as India's yoga will be performed during the opening ceremony to demonstrate the rich culture in the five countries," said Yang. 

Brazilian athlete Michele Silva Dos Santos participates in the women's qiangshu event, a form of Chinese martial arts, on Sunday. The 2017 BRICS Games opened in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Saturday.

China will send a delegation of 53 athletes, coaches and technical staff to the games.  

The Chinese national basketball team, under the management of Du Feng, will include some young prominent players. China will also send its under-22 national women's volleyball team. 

"BRICS countries will send their athletes to member countries for training and playing in some major local competitions as each member country has already developed strength in some typical sports events. We believe such exchanges will help further ties between these countries," said Yang.

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