The 16th Dezhou National Fitness Games opens

On the morning of April 25, the opening ceremony of the 16th Dezhou National Fitness Games & 2026 National Fitness Festival was held at Dezhou Sports Park. Zhu Kaiguo, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Dezhou Municipal Committee and Mayor, announced the opening of the Games. Municipal leaders Liu Panying, Zhang Zezhong, Chen Xiaoqiang, and Wang Shengqiang, Secretary General of the Dezhou Municipal People's Government, participated in the event.

Following the opening ceremony, leading officials present sounded the whistle to kick off the cycling challenge, and collectively visited the sports market as well as competition venues for table tennis, padel tennis and other events. A total of 4,000 athletes and spectators participated in the event on the day.

Hosted by the CPC Dezhou Municipal Committee and the Dezhou Municipal Government, the Games kicked off in April and will last until November. It features over 30 events, including basketball, football, balloon volleyball, pickleball, archery, fencing, aeromodelling and go, covering people of all age groups and from all walks of life.

In recent years, Dezhou has thoroughly implemented the national strategy for national fitness. Guided by the development of a featured famous sports city, Dezhou has included enriched mass sports activities in practical matters concerning people's livelihood for three consecutive years. It has steadily improved the public service system for national fitness, fostered local branded sports events, cultivated a stronger atmosphere for public fitness, and further demonstrated the city's vitality. Taking this Games as an opportunity, the municipal sports authorities will enrich event offerings, optimize service support, vigorously advocate a healthy lifestyle, and continuously polish the city brand of "Dynamic Dezhou: A City of Sports", injecting stronger momentum into the development of a distinctive sports city.