Chengdu makes clean sport come true

The Chengdu FISU World University Games are in full flow following the opening ceremony. While athletes spend most of their time at the venues practicing and competing, FISU Games Village is a place for relaxation.

The Chengdu University campus has been turned into a new home for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Besides sharing a place with peers and exchanging cultural differences, village inhabitants can prepare for competition at the gym, swimming pool or basketball arena. But having fun is not excluded, whether athletes want to grab a coffee, eat local food, or even watch the newest film at the movie theatre. You name it, it’s available.

But one thing that attracts a lot of attention is the educational building. Apart from learning Chinese, interestingly a specific place stood out. An anti-doping education centre.

“I think it’s very important because of its educational purpose,” said Xie Li, the Doping Control Education Manager. “We use this base to deliver knowledge and raise awareness about it. And most importantly, to make it a clean sport,” he added after the visit to the centre.

The interactive part is divided into different areas and is what makes the centre special. “We created this place with six areas.” explained Li. There is a corner for shooting darts as well as a pitch-pot and a motion sensing game. On the walls, visitors can read and educate themselves about different anti-doping topics such as what the doping control procedure looks like, or what substances and methods are always prohibited.

While the wall is a place for education, it is also meant for photos and signatures where visitors can leave their messages. There is almost no space left to put a sticky note. “Since we opened the centre, between 100 and 300 student-athletes visit us daily,” Li said, pleased with numbers.

At the end, students can test the knowledge they absorbed with with a quiz. And what attracted the visitors the most?

“I really liked throwing the darts, that part was super cool,” said Harry Bagley, who visited the centre with Australian teammates. “Writing the message and sticking it on the wall was fun, but just learning about doping is great.”

A 24-year-old student from the University of Adelaide, he was exploring the FISU Games Village with a group of other athletes. “We saw this place which looked really interesting. There are a lot of activities to do and it’s great to keep our mind off competition sometimes,” finished the half-marathon runner, since the Games can be stressful at times.

“Many athletes love this place because after the visit, they know more about the topic and they can also [learn] in a fun way about the clean sport,” added Xie Li.

But what he was the proudest about is that the centre, “it’s a place of communication between other students and making memories.”

Written by Miha Trošt, FISU Young Reporter