BRICS Games to be staged online

An online version of the BRICS Games is expected to enhance mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges in an innovative and safe way, Chinese organizers said.

The 2022 BRICS Games, organized by China as host of the 14th BRICS Summit in June, will open on Sept 1 with competitions and demonstrations of breakdancing, chess and wushu (Chinese martial arts).All events are set to take place online as the multisport event adapts to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Games will feature both professional and amateur athletes from all five members of the BRICS cooperation－Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Chinese organizers launched the games' official website on Wednesday as a portal for registration, video uploads, scoring, judging and results.

Athletes signing up for breakdancing and wushu will have their uploaded performances scored by professional judging panels across several categories. Those competing in chess will play against each other live on chess.com.

Official registration for competitions begins on Aug 15.

The website also features a designated channel for demonstration of traditional sports and exercise activities originating in each of the five BRICS nations, such as yoga from India, dragon boat racing from China, and jiujitsu from Brazil. Enthusiasts can upload practice videos and routines on the website and interact with each other.

As a representative of the organizing committee, China's Sports Minister Gao Zhidan welcomed participants from BRICS countries while hailing the games as a gala event enhancing friendship and respect.

"Sport is a unique and indispensable part of BRICS people-to-people exchanges," Gao said in a speech posted on the games' official website, 2022bricsgames.com, on Wednesday.

"Over the past five years, BRICS sport exchange and cooperation have been continuously deepened. The BRICS Sports Ministers' Meeting and the BRICS Games have become institutional highlight events. BRICS sport cooperation makes active contributions to advancing sports development, promoting traditional sports culture and deepening mutual understanding and friendship among peoples.

"Facing the challenges of the pandemic, we creatively moved the games online. I believe the 2022 BRICS Games will play a unique role in improving BRICS sport development and promoting understanding and friendship in the BRICS sport community and among BRICS peoples, and contribute to fostering high-quality partnership and embarking on a new journey of BRICS cooperation through the power of sport."