Hainan's sixth ethnic sports meeting kicks off

Hainan's 6th traditional sports meeting of ethnic groups opens at Changjiang Li autonomous county on July 21 [Photo by Xu Zhizhuan/news.cn]

The 6th traditional sports meeting of ethnic groups in Hainan province started at Changjiang Li autonomous county on July 21 and will end on July 26.

A total of 1,046 athletes of 15 different ethnicities are participating in 69 sports events in 13 categories, making the sports meeting the largest ever. Ninety-one percent are ethnic contestants hailing from 14 cities and counties and two universities.

The event was sponsored by the People's Government of Hainan Province and jointly organized by the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission of Hainan Province, the Department of Culture, Radio, Television, Publication and Sports of Hainan Province, and the people's government of Changjiang Li autonomous county. 

Changjiang's athlete delegation marching in at the opening ceremony of Hainan's 6th traditional ethnic sports meeting [Photo by Xu Zhizhuan/news.cn]

Ji Mingjiang, director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission of Hainan Province, said that Hainan's public sports facilities have improved continuously in regions inhabited by ethnic groups over recent years and national fitness activities have experienced rapid development. Held every four years, the ethnic sports meeting showcases the developing level of sports in ethnic groups and their inhabited regions and helps facilitate shared prosperity of all nationalities.

According to Huang Jincheng, secretary of Changjiang county Party committee, Changjiang is honored to hold the sports event having the largest scale and highest level in Hainan. The county will unite all people to contribute to the exploration of building the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.

Two athletes engage in a Yajia contest for Hainan's 6th traditional ethnic sports meeting. Yajia is a special kind of tug-of-war popular among Zang ethnic people. A rope loop is knotted at two contestants' necks and the one who pulls the other over the center line wins. [Photo by Xu Zhizhuan/news.cn]