15th National Games to be held in November

The 15th National Games will be held from Nov. 9 to 21 in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to a news conference held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing on Thursday. The games will be hosted by 19 cities across the GBA, the largest number of cities to host the games during a single year.

A girl walks past the official retail store at Hong Kong's West Kowloon Station on July 14, the day official licensed merchandise for the 15th National Games' Hong Kong competition area went on sale. The 15th National Games will be held from Nov. 9 to 21 in GBA.  Xinhua

The opening ceremony will be held in Guangzhou, and the closing ceremony will be held in Shenzhen. The ceremonies will integrate Lingnan culture, the distinctive features of Hong Kong and Macao, and sports culture, presenting a visual spectacle that highlights both the richness of Chinese heritage and the tech charm of the GBA, according to the news conference. 

Some events will be held cross-border for the first time. Among them, the route for road cycling will cover Zhuhai, Hong Kong, and Macao, marking the first time the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be used in the event. 

Meanwhile, the marathon event, hosted by Shenzhen, will utilize the Shenzhen Bay Bridge to cross between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, making it the first cross-border marathon in the history of the National Games.

Competitors battle it out during the 2025 Guangdong Province Youth Boxing Championship, which also serves as atest event for the 15th National Games at the Bao'an Gymnasium in Shenzhen on July 11. Photos courtesy of Shenzhen organizing committee

The competitive sports program includes 34 major events with 419 sub-events, and it is expected that over 15,000 athletes will participate in the finals. 

The mass sports events consist of 23 major events and 166 sub-events, 148 of which will be completed before the opening ceremony. Approximately 11,000 athletes are expected to compete in the finals. 

Competitors take part in the archery test event for the 15th National Games and Special Olympics at the Shenzhen Sports Center on July 12. 

During the news conference, Tong Lixin, deputy director of the Organizing Committee for the 15th National Games and deputy director of the General Administration of Sport of China, said that the renovation of competition venues had been completed. He also noted that more than half of the 68 test events had already been held.

Preparations for the games have prioritized avoiding redundant construction. Over 90% of the competition venues are existing facilities that have been upgraded, effectively reducing the cost of hosting the games. Efforts have been made to ensure excellence in event presentation, large-scale activities, and public participation. The torch relay has been meticulously designed, with the route spanning the GBA.