China's landmark 15th National Games concluded on Friday night, marking a historic milestone as the first edition jointly hosted by Guangdong Province, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR. The cross-regional event highlighted both elite athletic prowess and grassroots participation across the Greater Bay Area.
With 419 elite and 166 amateur gold medal events, over 11,000 non-professional athletes aged 8 to 81 competed alongside Olympians. Schoolteachers, medical workers, and farmers stood shoulder-to-shoulder with world champions in what organizers called "a celebration of national sports development."
"This edition saw unprecedented achievements," said Tong Lixin, deputy director of the organizing committee. "Athletes broke 8 world records and 13 Asian records, with 12 events surpassing Paris Olympic performances. These results reflect China's comprehensive progress in competitive sports."
Innovative cross-border competitions became the games' signature feature. Cyclists raced through Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in a single event, while marathoners crossed the Shenzhen-Hong Kong boundary. These routes physically demonstrated regional connectivity central to the Greater Bay Area's development strategy.
The event's success amplifies China's growing sports influence ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, while showcasing institutional strengths in coordinating complex cross-regional projects. With mass participation at its core, the games also highlighted evolving public health priorities and community-building through sports.
