CGTN will present two weeks of special coverage titled "Make Friends, Not War," highlighting what's being called China's first "Military Olympics." We will bring you the latest from the sports venues, as well as behind-the-scenes stories of soldier-athletes.
A playing field, not a battle field
Soldier or athlete, which comes first? What do these soldier-athletes think about the competition? Why do they fight for military glory? What effect could the Games have on China and its armed forces? These are some of the questions we will touch upon during the 7th Military World Games in Wuhan, central China. CGTN's special coverage begins on October 11, one week ahead of the opening ceremony on October 18.
We at the CGTN are going beyond the Games, with rare access to both the Chinese and foreign teams, to see how they train and what they gain from this unique experience. We want to tell stories behind the medals, the training and competition, teammates and competitors.
Relatively unknown to the public, it is one of three largest multi-sport events, after the Olympic Games and University Games. The Military World Games have distinguished themselves from other games with its unique events, including the military pentathlon, aeronautical pentathlon, naval pentathlon, parachuting and orienteering. We will take you up close to the action for something you might have never seen.
Venues for the 7th Military World Games' naval pentathlon on the Mulan Lake Campus of the Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan, central Hubei Province. /CGTN Photo
For honor and peace
Over 10,000 military athletes from over 100 countries will compete across 27 sports, making it the largest event in history. About 400 Chinese will participate. Their performance may reflect China's military training and strength following the restructuring completed in 2018. All military sports teams are now under a new training center, under the Central Military Commission.
We will explore the meaning of the Games from the eyes of international soldier-athletes, and examine the impact of the slogan "Military Glory, World Peace" in terms of building understanding and friendship through sports.
The Military World Games were inaugurated in Rome in 1995 and are organized every four years by the International Military Sports Council (CISM), which has 138 member states across four continents.