Competitors show skills in Chongqing

Winning a bronze medal in a skills competition in Chongqing last week has motivated Moroccan Ahmed Faouzi to continue pursuing excellence.

Faouzi said that taking part in the 2nd Belt and Road International Skills Competition had been a good experience, and the ability to discuss new energy and new energy vehicles with fellow experts from different countries and regions was inspirational. He placed third in the automobile technology (new energy) event — which involved diagnosing problems and making repairs on various systems in NEVs — at the competition, which ran from Monday to Wednesday.

Faouzi was among 190 competitors from 61 BRI countries and regions taking part in the competition, which featured 18 events, including hairdressing, information network cabling and electrical installation.

Yiu Ho-man, a 21-year-old competitor from Hong Kong, won the patisserie and confectionary event.

"I feel proud to have won the gold," he said. "It was a bit challenging as the temperature and humidity in Chongqing are different from those in Hong Kong, and I was concerned the sugar work I did would melt.

"I made many new friends from different nations at the competition, and we exchanged our knowledge and skills. I will join the World Skills competition that will be held in Lyon, France, in September, and I think what I've learned in Chongqing will help me a lot in future competitions."

Many medalists said they plan to serve as "messengers" and continue to spread their knowledge and skills to their peers in China and in their home countries.

Kiran Khatri, from Nepal, said he had felt a bit nervous about the competition, as he had begun training just one month before it started. He did well enough to earn a bronze medal in the internet of things installation and debugging event.

"I'm not very experienced, so the result was beyond my expectations," the 26-year-old said. "I have improved my skills, and I will surely share what I've learned with many young people after I go back to my country."

Over the course of the three-day competition, 14 of the 18 gold medals up for grabs were captured by contestants from Asia, while three were awarded to participants from Europe and one to a competitor from Oceania, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, one of the organizers of the competition.

"The international exchanges at the competition contributed to the development of vocational skills, which could benefit more people by helping them find jobs and giving them the chance to become masters of their skills," said Wang Xiaojun, an official from the ministry.

China organized the 1st Belt and Road International Skills Competition in 2019 in Chongqing.