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The 31st International University Sports Federation(FISU) Summer World University Games were held from July 28, 2023 to August 8, 2023 in Chengdu, which were more than just medals and sports.
A total of 6,500 student athletes from 113 countries and regions competed at the Chengdu FISU Games. Besides showing their skills in different sports, these athletes also learned about many sides of Chinese culture. Each night in the athletes' village, for example, they could experience activities such as trying on hanfu, playing Chinese chess and playing traditional Chinese music.
They also had the chance to meet one of China's national treasures: the giant panda. On July 31 in a special area of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, overseas athletes met the 6-year-old Zhi Ma, the panda who inspired (启发) the design of Rongbao—the mascot(吉祥物)of the Games. They were really excited as most of them first met with a giant panda in person. "They are much cuter than they are in videos," Mario Del Basso, a water polo athlete from Italy, said to China Daily. To attract the attention of the giant pandas, many athletes also made an effort to learn how to say "come here" in the local Sichuan dialect(方言).
Chinese and foreign athletes also made good friends during the Games. During the mixed team event in a men's doubles match, Chinese athlete Tan Qiang beat Brazilian badminton player Welton Menezes easily. But the image of Menezes's worn-out shoes stuck with Tan. He asked for Menezes's shoe size immediately after the match and gave his own pair of new shoes to Menezes. "I am very grateful for Tan's help," Menezes said. "It's a great pair of shoes and I love it. After I go back to Brazil, I will also wear the shoes for training."
This event not only provides a stage for competition, but also serves as a platform for cultural exchange and the development of friendship, showing China's positive attitude to the world.
