Timeline of China's military sports team

Team China enters the main area at the opening ceremony of the 7th CISM Military World Games in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, October 18, 2019. /VCG Photo

The 7th CISM Military World Games concluded in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Sunday.

Team China, also the largest sports group at the Games, topped the medal table with a total of 133 gold medals, 64 silver medals and 42 bronze medals.

CGTN takes you through a brief history of the Chinese delegation in military sports.

Chen Jingkai (1935-2010) was the first Chinese to break a weightlifting world record in 1956. /VCG Photo

1951

In September, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) founded its first professional sports team, which included football, basketball, volleyball, track and field, swimming, lifting, gymnastics, and other sports as branches.

The name, the August First Team or Bayi in Chinese, is because the PLA was founded on August 1, 1927.

1978

PLA observers attended the 32nd Congress of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), marking China starting its official military sports ties with the world.

Ma Yanhong, born in 1963, is China's first world champion in gymnastics in 1979. /VCG Photo

1981

For the first time, the August First military pentathlon team participated in the 30th World Military Pentathlon Championship, and finished eighth among the 13 participating teams.

1982

In December, the PLA founded its military sports team based in one of the competitive sports training centers for soldiers. The team focused on five events: shooting, military pentathlon, horse riding in modern pentathlon, fencing and triathlon (including cycling).

Ye Qiaobo, born in 1964, is the first Chinese athlete winning a medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics. /VCG Photo

2016-2018

Institutional reforms that aimed at managing and optimizing sports resources implemented according to the PLA deepening reform plan.

Under the newly launched Military Sports Training Center, a total of 29 discipline teams were set up. They included shooting, track and field, swimming, basketball, skiing, military pentathlon, and also added military-focused disciplines such as naval pentathlon, aeronautical pentathlon, and orienteering.