9th Guizhou Provincial Games for the Elderly kicks off in Guiyang

The Fitness Qigong Competition of the 9th Guizhou Provincial Games for the Elderly kicks off in Guiyang. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

The Fitness Qigong Competition of the 9th Guizhou Provincial Games for the Elderly kicked off in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on July 11.

Qigong is a Chinese system of physical exercises and breathing control related to tai chi.

The Qigong competition, the ninth event among all the 19 events of this year's games, is one of the two events hosted by Guiyang, attracting nearly 150 athletes and referees from 10 teams in the province.

The Provincial Sports Management Office jointly organized the event for the Elderly, Guiyang municipal bureau of sports, the municipal bureau of health, and other related units.

The upcoming race will take place over the course of two days and will feature four events. These events include Yi Jianjing, Baduan Jin, Mawangdui Guidance Technique, and Big Dance.

The competition is divided into team competition and individual competition. The team competition will determine the winner and excellence award based on performance, while the individual competition will rank participants for an award. The participating athletes are all between the ages of 55 and 75.

Next, Guiyang is expected to leverage the games to guide and encourage more aged people to participate actively in sports and fitness activities.