Fujian to host top Asian Gymnastics Championships

The 5th Asian Championships in Artistic Gymnastics will be held from Nov 7 to 15 at the sports center in Putian, a prefecture-level city in East China's Fujian province, senior officials said at a news conference in Fuzhou on Tuesday.

The event, organized by Asian Gymnastics Union, the Gymnastics Management Center of China General Administration of Sport and the Putian government, is expected to attract about 140 athletes from 15 to 20 countries and regions across Asia, said Zhang Libing, deputy mayor of Putian.

The championship will feature 14 events, eight for men and six for women.

"The championship is the highest-level international sports event ever held in Putian, and we will make every effort to ensure its success,” Zhang said.

The event is aimed at promoting sporting spirit and encourages more young people to participate in gymnastics, the deputy major said.

Chen Zhonghe, former head coach of China women's volleyball team and now deputy director of the Fujian provincial sports bureau, said at the news conference that Putian's past experiences in hosting big sports events confirms its  ability to hold such international championship.

Putian is a coastal city bordering Fuzhou to the north, Quanzhou to the south, and the Taiwan Straits to the east. The city is known as a hometown of famous Chinese athletes in track and field, martial arts and basketball.