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In the scorching summer, the sea breeze sweeps across Nansha, and the flame of the Olympic spirit is passed down here. To deeply implement the construction of a sports and education powerhouse, and actively deepen international sports exchanges under the "15th Five-Year Plan for National Sports Development", strengthening youth sports education, and promoting Olympic values, the "2026 Olympic Spirit Experience Camp and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Sports Exchange Camp" officially opened in Nansha district, Guangzhou, on July 29.
A total of 150 students and young athletes from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao gathered under the theme "Unity of the Torch, Integration of the Bay Area" for a three-day Olympic journey. The event integrated patriotic education with Olympic culture, allowing young people to immerse themselves in the nation's athletic rise, Olympic glory, and the vitality of the Bay Area's development.
The dual influence of Chinese sports spirit and Olympic spirit cultivated a sense of loyalty to the nation. Jointly organized by the Chinese Olympic Academy, the Hong Kong Olympic Academy, the Guangdong Sports Federation, and the Macau Sports Federation, the event aimed to deepen sports interactions among young people in the Bay Area and promote the regionalization of Olympic value education.
[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Zhang Jian, executive vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Academy and president of Beijing Sport University, attended the opening ceremony and stated that the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area provides vast opportunities for high-quality development in the region’s sports industry and creates new opportunities for Olympic education cooperation.
This experience camp is a practical outcome of the cooperation agreement signed between the Chinese Olympic Academy and the Hong Kong Olympic Academy, as well as a vivid practice of implementing coordinated sports development in the Greater Bay Area. He encouraged young participants to understand the Olympic spirit through exchanges and experiences, cultivate a sense of loyalty to the nation, and strengthen friendships in the Bay Area.
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Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, vice-president of the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee and president of the Hong Kong Olympic Academy, mentioned that the camp's consecutive hosting in Nansha for two years marks the elevation of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao youth sports cooperation into a more intimate and high-quality new phase. He pointed out that the release of the national "15th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development" is the first national-level special plan with the theme of building a sports powerhouse.
This experience camp is a timely response and practical implementation of the plan. At the important juncture of the 30th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the academy will leverage the advantages of the "one country, two systems" policy to continuously deepen cooperation in sports talent cultivation, event coordination, coach exchanges, sports scientific research, and youth training among the three regions, jointly building a sports development platform with greater international vision.
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During the event, Zhang Jian, along with Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, president of the Hong Kong Sports Federation and Olympic Committee, and Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, president of the Hong Kong Olympic Academy, attended related activities and engaged in friendly discussions.
This year's camp lasted three days and featured activities such as team-building, adventure challenges, and pickleball experiences.
The Chinese Olympic Academy invited Sui Wenjing, the Olympic champion in figure skating, to deliver the "Olympics and Me" public lecture, sharing her journey of chasing Olympic dreams and growth experiences to guide young people in deeply understanding the contemporary significance of the Olympic spirit.
Wang Yingchun, dean of the School of Psychology at Beijing Sport University, conducted academic guidance on Olympic education and national sports development, helping young people further broaden their understanding of Olympic education concepts and the development of sports in the new era.
[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The public lecture is an important practice of the Chinese Olympic Academy's "100 Cities, 1,000 Schools" Olympic Value Promotion Campaign entering the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In recent years, the Chinese Olympic Academy has continuously leveraged its educational platforms, inviting Olympic champions and expert scholars to visit campuses, promoting high-quality Olympic educational resources to grassroots communities, and enabling more young people to experience the Olympic values of "excellence, friendship, and respect" through immersive experiences. This effort continuously expands the coverage and influence of Olympic education.
In the future, the Chinese Olympic Academy will deeply implement the requirements of the "15th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development", continuously deepen exchanges and cooperation with partners such as the Hong Kong Olympic Academy, enrich Olympic education practices, promote cultural and sports exchanges among the three regions of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, share China's sports story, and disseminate Olympic value concepts.
By doing so, it will contribute to nurturing young people of the new era with international vision, a sense of loyalty to the nation, and the Olympic spirit. It will also promote the mutual brilliance of Chinese sports spirit and Olympic spirit, contributing to the acceleration of building a sports powerhouse and the promotion of comprehensive human development.
