AsiaNet 201708

BAOTOU, China, August 10, 2026 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/

The 16th Games of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region officially opened at the Baotou Olympic Sports Center at 8:00 PM on August 8. Echoing the ancient Book of Songs verse - "The deer cry out in the fields, feasting on wild greens; when honored guests arrive, we greet them with music and song" - the city of Baotou embodies that same spirit of warm reunion. With the Yin Mountains as its backdrop and the Yellow River by its side, this vibrant northern frontier proudly welcomes athletes from across the region.

The Games features two main categories - competitive sports and mass participation sports - encompassing a total of 37 major disciplines and 860 events in total. All 12 leagues and cities across the region have sent delegations to compete, with a registered participation of 12,029 athletes and 2,661 coaches.

The most notable feature of this year's Games is the elimination of the gold medal table, medal standings, and overall ranking points system -- a move that downplays ranking competition and champions the pure, uplifting spirit of sport. Compared with the 15th Games, the competition system has undergone structural optimization: the number of events in the competitive sports has been reduced from 1,183 to 809, with project configurations now aligned with those of the Olympic Games and the National Games, thereby raising the technical and competitive standards of the event. All the present venues have been fully utilized, with no new construction. The competitions are divided into three age tiers - A, B, and C - with the newly added C-group events designed to strengthen the talent identification and development pipeline for young athletes. The Games have adhered throughout to the principles of economy and green operations, with all equipment and venue facilities certified to national-level standards.

The host city Baotou has innovatively crafted the Games torch by using rare-earth materials. The torch relay passed through a series of iconic city landmarks, including the urban steppe and industrial heritage sites, creating a distinctive event brand. The opening ceremony featured ordinary citizens as the main performers, weaving together local historical threads - the Qin Straight Road, the "Going West" migration, and the construction of Baotou Steel - into a rich theatrical tapestry. The performance unfolded the thousand-year cultural legacy of the northern frontier in brilliant dialogue with the modern industrial city, presenting a vision of the region's timeless spirit and contemporary vitality.

Source: The Organizing Committee of the 16th Games of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region