The 16th Hubei ProvincialGames will be held in Yichang in October 2022, which is a grand sporting event in Hubei Province again after holding the9thProvincialGames 28 yearsago. The Press Office of the Hubei Provincial People’s Government held a press conference in Yichang on August 27 to introduce the big picture of the 16th Provincial Games and preparations of Yichang, and then announcedthe proposalsof emblems, anthems, mascots and thematic slogans.

　　Hu Gongmin, secretary of the Party Group and director of the Provincial Sports Bureau, Zhang Jiasheng, deputy secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and mayor of Yichang City, Luo Qiyi, deputy director of the Provincial Sports Bureau and Zhou Zhengying, deputy mayorof Yichang City, attended the press conference todeliver keynote speeches and answered reporters’ questions. Zhang Xiufu, the second-level inspector of the Publicity DepartmentofHubeiProvincial Party Committee, presided over the press conference.

　　The Provincial Games isthelargest comprehensive gamesof the highest level in aprovince. The 16th Provincial Games will behosted by the Hubei Provincial Government, and jointly held by the Provincial Sports Bureau, the Yichang Municipal People’s Government, the Working Committee of Organs directly under the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial General Trade Union and the Provincial Education Department. On the basis of the 15th Provincial Games, the 16th Provincial Games has been greatly reformed in the aspects of project setting, competition qualification, award setting and team formationto adapt to the development of sports in the new era. At present, all preparations are being advanced in an orderly manner.

　　There are 46 items of youth sports and 38 items of mass sports in this sporting event, and29 items of social club sports are added, which aims to promote the coordinated development of competitive sports, mass sports and the sports industry. In order to show the openness of this sporting event, all items are exempted from eligibility restrictions, and all groups don’t require registrations except the “Sports School Group of Youth Sports”. In the award setting, the newly-added “Gold Medal Tally, Total Score List and Contribution List” and the “Contribution Award for the Construction of a PowerfulHubei Province in sports., Sports Talent Seeker Award inHubeiProvinceand Hubei Sports Honor Award” to rank the lists of gold medal, total score and contribution of all cities or prefectures respectively. All cities and prefectures can form delegations to attend the opening and closing ceremonies. The Organs directly under the Provincial Party Committee, institutions of higher learning in Hubei Province, large enterprises in Hubei Province and sports associations of various industries can also form groups respective or form groups jointly among the same category to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies.

　　Yichang is a sports city, and it has been successfully selected as a pilot city for national sports consumption with the continuous improvement of the sports infrastructure, the vigorous development of mass sports and the constant expansion of the sports industry in recent years. Yichang attaches great importance to the preparations of the Provincial Games on the theme of “Green Yichang, Sharing Hubei Games”, adhering to the concept of “integration, openness, green, frugality, cleangovernance” to spare no efforts to present a sporting event with Yichang characteristics, Hubei style and national standard for the people of Hubei Province.

　　The main venue of the Provincial Games is set up at the newly-built Yichang Olympic Sports Center with high standards, among which the gymnasium and shooting hall have been put into use, and other venues are about to be completed. Yichang will also build, rebuild and expand a group of gymnasiumsand stadiums; with enoughfacilities to host large-scale national sports competitions and provincial comprehensive games. Yichang has 48 star-rated hotels, a total of 7,504 rooms, 13,141 beds, which fully meets the needs of the large games. The demand of athletes’ apartments at the final stage can also be guaranteed through renovation, reconstruction and integrated utilization. Besides, there are a team of professionals and volunteers in reserve in Yichang.

　　Under the leadership of the Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government, Yichang will continue to implement the system of “the Preparatory Committeebeingaccountable for all matters”in the next phaseto speed up the construction of stadiums and athletes’ apartments, improve the design of competitive events, organize athletes and coaches to prepare for competitions, create a favorable social atmosphere and strive to arrange all preparatory works. (Reporter Gao Wei)