The 12th edition of The World Games (TWG) concluded in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on the evening of August 17, 2025. Over the past days, nearly 4,000 athletes from 116 countries and regions have pushed their limits and pursued excellence at the TWG arenas. The TWG 2025 Chengdu, blending international flair with Ba-Shu cultural charm, has not only elevated niche sports to mainstream attention but also opened a new window for the world to understand China.
From the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games to TWG 2025 Chengdu, the city has once again delivered to the world a premier sporting event in Sichuan that meets international standards, embodies Chinese characteristics, and showcases Ba-Shu cultural richness—vividly demonstrating the panoramic scope of Chinese modernization. The TWG 2025 Chengdu "has set new standards for the future," stated José Perurena, President of the International World Games Association.
Athletic Breakthroughs Elevate the Sporting Event
United by sports in beautiful Chengdu, the past eleven days and nights have witnessed an extraordinary Games brimming with "Boundless Sports" and "Countless Wonders".
This year's TWG produced 18 world records, with athletes from 52 countries and regions winning gold medals and representatives from 81 countries and regions securing podium spots. The number of medal-winning countries and regions has reached a record high in TWG history. China topped both the gold and overall medal tables with 64 medals, including 36 gold, 17 silver, and 11 bronze, marking the country's best-ever performance since its participation in TWG.
Beyond the impressive medal count lies a richer narrative.
Gold medals were secured in a significantly broader range of events. At this TWG, the Chinese sports delegation claimed gold medals across 18 sports (including disciplines), with 45 athletes ascending the top podium. This expands China's all-time gold-winning sports (disciplines) in TWG from 14 to 23, a significant increase.
Traditional strengths shone brighter than ever. The Chinese team set world records in the sport climbing women's speed relay and finswimming women's 4×50m surface relay; swept both gold and silver in several sports, including sport climbing women's speed (single &relay), inline freestyle men's speed slalom and women's slalom classic; and medaled in every single event they entered across wushu, sport climbing, aerobic gymnastics, breaking, and inline freestyle roller.
The inclusion of para and able-bodied athletes redefined the boundaries of human potential. Ten para-athletes claimed five gold medals and one silver medal in freediving, Ju-Jitsu, and archery, demonstrating China's advancements in both parasports and the broader cause for people with disabilities.
"Taking the TWG 2025 Chengdu as a new starting point, we will further deepen reforms in sports development, create conditions for more sports to gain popularity, enhance competitiveness, and engage in international exchanges, thereby promoting the flourishing growth of all athletic disciplines," said Zhang Xin, deputy head of the Chinese sports delegation.
This edition of TWG set multiple historic breakthroughs, featuring the largest number of sports in the event's history. Regarding the inclusion of traditional Chinese sports like dragon boat racing and wushu in the competition schedule, José Perurena noted this as one of the event's significant achievements, stating that these disciplines carry a profoundly rich cultural heritage.
Heartwarming Moments Built Bridges of Exchange
On and off the field, a series of heartwarming moments transcending athletic competition fostered friendship and built bridges for civilizational exchange and mutual learning.
During a women's floorball match, a Thai athlete was moved to tears as the entire stadium joined in singing "Happy Birthday" to her. "Growing one year older in China has been the most special birthday gift," she said. After the mixed doubles disc golf finals, Estonian athletes Mr. and Mrs. Latt posed for photos and exchanged techniques with Chinese flying disc enthusiasts. The shared passion for sports brought people closer across cultures.
At the TWG Village, Thai team members experimented with Sichuan opera's waving water sleeves, while Italian athletes crafted Xinjin rope weaving. The diverse cultural exhibitions and interactive experiences enabled athletes worldwide to acquire distinctive "Chinese memories", while also allowing the profound heritage of fine traditional Chinese culture to radiate with renewed vitality through exchange.
As the highest-level international comprehensive sporting event for non-Olympic sports, TWG provides a global stage for distinctive athletic disciplines and also allows guests from all nations to experience Chengdu's unique appeal.
After winning the kickboxing women's point fighting-50kg semifinal, Turkish fighter Aybuke Kilinc calmly removed her protective gear, pinned a panda hairclip to her head, and drew cheers from the arena. She said she is a seasoned panda enthusiast, with exactly 13 panda souvenirs stuffed in her backpack.
To allow competing athletes to experience Chengdu's unique appeal, the city designed 7 cultural tour routes connecting 17 selected locations—curated around three core themes: Park City development, fashion districts, and the vibrant urban life of "Yanhuo Chengdu". "The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the top choice for most visitors, and sites like Wuhou Shrine, Global Center, and Kuanzhai Alley are also highly popular," noted Wang Feng, Director of Urban Service Department at the Executive Committee of TWG 2025 Chengdu.
Courtyards with gray-tiled roofs exuding timeless charm, steam rising from street food stalls... Kuanzhai Alley, where historical traces are carefully preserved, has become a must-visit "check-in spot" for foreign delegations. At the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, athletes observed the three core structures—Yuzui (Fish Mouth Levee), Feishayan (Flying Sand Weir) and Baopingkou (Bottle-Neck Channel)—at close range, experiencing the diversity and inclusiveness of ancient Shu culture. "The Dujiangyan Irrigation System is nothing short of a miracle," remarked Hoffmann, a wushu athlete from the Czech team.
TWG 2025 Chengdu, blending international sophistication with Ba-Shu cultural charm, has opened another window for the world to understand China.
Sports Spaces Refine the City's Character
Amid the TWG 2025 Chengdu fervor, emerging sports like squash, roller sports, parkour, and flag football have garnered massive followings.
Various emerging sports are "breaking through cultural circles" via TWG, as niche athletic disciplines increasingly integrate into public daily life, expanding options for national fitness initiatives. In Chengdu, flag football is drawing growing numbers of residents into its circle of enthusiasts.
From competition venues to the city's "nooks and crannies", the enthusiasm for national fitness has permeated the urban fabric of Chengdu.
Roller-skating camps under viaducts, flying disc arenas in urban parks, all-ages fitness equipment in community corner spaces... Through initiatives like "Urban Green Space Expansion" and "Cityscape Enhancement", Chengdu continues to enrich sports facilities accessible to residents while elevating the city's aesthetic vitality.
Chengdu has established 830 new recreational spaces along the Tianfu Greenway and opened 130 "TWG Space", with various experience zones and events attracting over 100,000 participants.
Hosting TWG has not only ignited sporting passion but also elevated the city's global profile.
Data from the Chengdu Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station showed that foreign arrivals to Chengdu reached 69,000 between July 1 and August 15, representing a 72.5 percent year-on-year increase. Data from Ctrip shows that during the TWG period, the number of inbound tourist trips to Chengdu increased by 31 percent year-on-year. Among the popular destinations chosen by inbound tourists, the Chunxi Road and Taikoo Li commercial district account for more than 40 percent.
"Thank you, Chengdu." "Coming to China is my most memorable memory." "You must try hot pot."... The comment books placed in TWG venues are filled with heartwarming messages from athletes. Friends from around the world are gradually embarking on their journeys home, carrying cherished "Chengdu memories", while more stories of perseverance, unity, and dreams will continue to unfold in this city.
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