Guangzhou, May 6 - The Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC) is pleased to announce that a series of test events entitled "Vigorous Guangzhou" will be held from May to September prior to the Opening Ceremony at varied Games competition venues.

The Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC) holds a press conference on May 6.

The "Vigorous Guangzhou" series of test events includes a number of provincial sporting events (accounting for 60 percent), national competition events (accounting for 30 percent) and regional or international competitions (accounting for 10 percent) … covering 34 of the Guangzhou Asian Games sports and five of the Guangzhou Asian Para Games sports.

Thirty seven sport events under the name of "Vigorous Guangzhou" are to be held in the Games competition venues in Guangzhou, with the other two in the co-host cities of Foshan and Dongguan respectively.

The majority of the test events will be held as invitational tournaments and qualifiers at the provincial or municipal scale, with the minority in the forms of championships and open championships; 85 percent of the "Vigorous Guangzhou" sport events will be functional tests of media services, equipment arrangement, and venue operations etc. with the remaining 15 percent covering the comprehensive operation and cooperation among varied GAGOC departments.

GAGOC pledges to run these Games test events in a frugal and practical manner and there will not be a must to cover the whole range of the Asian Games sports events programme. Besides, GAGOC tends to carry out the bid invitations for the hosting and organising the series, and invite social groups, provincial and municipal bodies to take part in the bidding.

Venuisation, the same venue-based operation management plan of the Guangzhou Asian Games and Guangzhou Asian Para Games, will also be introduced for the coming test events as venue teams from the GAGOC will take charge of the operation management at the test-event venues, the same competition venues for the future Games in November and December.

Meanwhile, GAGOC initiates appointments of National Technical Officials for the upcoming Games together training courses, and promote the Guangzhou Asian Games sports events programme during the "Vigorous Guangzhou" series.

The "Vigorous Guangzhou" series includes: Karate, Skeet Shooting, Soft Tennis, Judo, Football, Modern Pentathlon, Sepaktakraw, Rowing, Rugby, Beach Volleyball, Sprint Canoe/Kayak, Boxing, Weightlifting, Swimming, Roller Sports, Slalom Canoe/Kayak, Volleyball, Softball, Basketball, Cricket, Squash, Track Cycling, Billiard Sports, Mountain Bike, Water Polo, Equestrian, Golf, Gymnastics, Wushu, Chess, Dragon Boat, Taekwondo, Kabaddi, Bowling, Goalball, Wheelchair Tennis, Boccia, Wheelchair Basketball and Para Table Tennis.

(Zhu Runfang and Jeff Ruffolo) (The End)