Youth finds its voice in the struggle; the spirit finds its strength in sports. On the morning of October 16, the 19th Sports Festival of Guizhou University (GZU) officially opened at the East Campus Stadium. GZU officials, including University Party Secretary Yang Wei, Deputy Party Secretaries Peng Jie and Zhang Dalin, Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Han Bingbing, and Vice Presidents Chen Xiangsheng, Wu Pan, and Wang Xu, attended the opening ceremony. The event was presided over by Vice President Wu Pan.

The festival commenced with the solemn and stirring notes of the National Anthem. Against a backdrop of fluttering banners and thunderous cheers, delegations from various departments of the university stood in disciplined, high-spirited formations, ready for the competition ahead.

In her opening address, Yang Wei emphasized that the strength of a nation is intrinsically linked to the vitality of its sports. She noted that GZU is deeply committed to the national strategy of building a sporting powerhouse, anchoring its efforts in a “Health First” philosophy and the “Five-Sphere Education” framework—an integrated model of moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor development aimed at the all-round enhancement of student fitness. Secretary Yang issued three calls to action for the participants: to be practitioners of the sporting spirit by embodying the Olympic motto and the university’s own values of “Illustrious Virtue, Utmost Goodness, Extensive Learning, and Earnest Practice”; to be ambassadors of healthy living by championing the “One Hour of Exercise a Day” initiative as a lifelong habit; and to be strivers for national rejuvenation by applying the resilience forged on the sports field to their academic research and social practice. Yang encouraged the students to become a new generation of GZUers driven by ideals, competence, and a profound sense of responsibility.

Zheng Zhibing, representing the referees, and Liu Yi, representing the athletes, took their respective oaths of sportsmanship.

As Secretary Yang Wei officially declared the festival open, plumes of vibrant colored smoke shot into the sky.

The ceremony concluded with a series of captivating cultural performances, featuring the Tai Chi Fan and traditional Dragon and Lion Dances.

This year’s Sports Festival, themed “Vibrant Campus, Healthy GZU”, features 19 events ranging from competitive athletics and fun games to traditional ethnic sports.

Editors: Yin Zixi; Yang Wei

Chief Editor: Li Xufeng

Senior Editor: Yao Zuozhou

Translator: Jia Haibo