The one-year-to-go countdown celebration for the 2021 World University Summer Games is held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Tuesday.  

The World University Games, or Universiade, open to enrolled university students and recent graduates aged between 17 and 28, is scheduled for August 18 to 29 next year. 

International University Sports Federation (FISU) President Oleg Matytsin praised in a video the efforts of the Chengdu 2021 organizers in their preparations amid the coronavirus pandemic and called for a collective effort to help ensure the success of the Games. 

"It would not be easy to prepare an event that would meet and even pass expectations in the time available."

"Of course, that challenge has become even bigger in recent months," he added. 

Chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies Chen Weiya revealed that artificial intelligence, virtual reality as well as 5G technology would be key parts of the ceremonies. "When facing with the epidemic and severe challenges of humanities, the opening ceremony will definitely show the unity and positive of the youth."

Chen, a heavyweight in directing such major international sports events in China as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and 2014 Nanjing Olympic Youth Games.     

International Olympic Committee Vice-president Yu Zaiqing from China said, "Next year's Tokyo Olympics and the Universiade will both be held in East Asia, 10 days apart. A successful Olympics will be conducive to the Universiade. We can learn from Tokyo especially in time of the pandemic.” 

Thirty thousand volunteers at venues as well as half million city volunteers are expected to provide service during the Chengdu Universiade, and a special training program is now held online to ensure health and safety amid the epidemic.  

Construction has been completed for 13 new venues while the renovation work on 36 existing venues is well underway. 

Chengdu was announced to host the 2021 Summer Universiade in December 2018, making it the third city in China, after Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011, and also the first southwest Chinese city to ever host an international multi-sport event. 

More than 10,000 athletes from around 170 countries and regions are expected to compete across 18 events, including rowing, shooting and martial arts.