On the evening of May 15th, the second National Public Fitness Games (Southwest Region) commenced in Chuxiong City, Yunnan Province. More than 150 athletes from the provinces and municipalities of Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Tibet assembled to compete, exchange skills, and foster camaraderie.
Organized by the General Administration of Sport of China and the All-China Sports Federation, the nationwide event is scheduled from April to November 2026. To promote widespread participation, the games adopt a "combined unified and decentralized" model, dividing the country into seven competition zones and implementing a "5+N+X" event system. The "5" refers to mandatory events for the national finals, "N" represents optional events selected by each regional zone, and "X" denotes special optional events chosen by individual provinces and regions. For Yunnan Province, the mandatory event is swimming. Its optional events include air volleyball, orienteering, spinning top, ethnic fitness exercises, and an online health run, with roller skating designated as its special optional event.
Chen Feimin, Vice Governor of the Chuxiong Prefectural People's Government, stated in an address that hosting the games in Chuxiong is a practical implementation of the national fitness strategy and the advancement of a Healthy China initiative. She described it as a broad platform for promoting interactions and exchanges among different ethnic groups and strengthening the sense of community for the Chinese nation, as well as a practical need for integrating sports with tourism to empower high-quality development. "We will use this event as an opportunity to fully establish a fair, just, and friendly competitive platform, allowing sports to serve as a bridge enhancing ethnic unity and regional exchanges," she said.
During the opening ceremony, delegations from the five southwestern provinces and municipalities performed stationary displays. Subsequent cultural and sports performances, along with a public fitness celebration featuring the Yi ethnic group's Left Foot Dance around a bonfire, elevated the atmosphere to a climax. Concurrent activities included an exhibition on public fitness achievements from the five southwestern regions, a colorful Yunnan sports market, and experiential activities for traditional ethnic minority sports. These allowed athletes and guests to savor Yi cuisine and experience central Yunnan's culture beyond the competitions.
As an optional event for the Southwest Region, the ethnic fitness exercises competition commenced in Chuxiong City on the 16th, where athletes from various regions will showcase the splendor of ethnic sports culture on the same stage. The online health run activity is also set to launch in May and continue through September this year, truly realizing the goals of "competition without barriers and fitness with zero distance."