CHINA’S 14th National Games, billed as the country’s “mini-Olympics,” closed in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, yesterday. Premier Li Keqiang officially declared the Games close in a ceremony held at the Xi’an Olympic Center Gymnasium. The 14th National Games featured a total of 54 sports and 595 events, of which 35 sports and 410 events were held for elite athletes, while the remainder were mass sports programs. Over 12,000 elite athletes and 10,000 amateur participants took part in the sporting extravaganza. The quadrennial Games featured all the summer Olympic sports, including skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and breakdancing, in addition to Wushu, while competitions for junior groups in sports like diving and gymnastics were set to scout talents for Paris 2024. Most events were held in Shaanxi Province, marking the first time the Games has been staged in China’s central and western regions. Sailing, canoe slalom, surfing, breakdancing, fencing and track cycling were staged in other provinces and municipalities. A number of records, including 12 world and two Asian records, were broken in shooting, weightlifting, athletics, track cycling, sport climbing and swimming. Kuok Kin Hang won Macao’s first-ever medal at the Games on Sept. 18, underlining the growing importance of the showpiece event to the special administrative region. (Xinhua) | 