Exclusive | Covid-19 in China: Chengdu FISU World University Games to be postponed for second time, sources say

The event, originally due to take place last year, had already been put back to late June
Sources in Chengdu say promotional work has been stopped and volunteers stood down

Coronavirus China

Chan Kin-wa,William Zheng,Finbarr BerminghamandPhoebe Zhang

Published: 7:00pm, 5 May 2022

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The World University Games, which were due to start in Chengdu in late June, will be delayed until next year, a source who is in contact with the organising committee has told the South China Morning Post.

The FISU World University Games, held every two years, were originally due to be held in August 2021 in the capital of the southwest province Sichuan.

In April last year, organisers said the games would be pushed back to between June 26 and July 7 because of Covid-19 and travel restrictions.

People familiar with the matter said a decision on a second postponement could be made public imminently.

Beijing lumbers back to work as Covid-19 outbreak stalls transport

They pointed to the number of events that had been cancelled in China due to the strict quarantine rules and suggested that these “difficult conditions” were a challenge for any event organiser.

One source involved in publicity work for the games said staff had been told to pull all advertising for the event and promotional work had come to a “dramatic stop”. The source added: “We are waiting for the final decision.”

A local official involved in organising games volunteers also said that they have been told to stand down for now.

“I understand how the volunteers feel,” the source said. “In order to support the university games, Chengdu schools were put under complete closed-loop management for months, and all the students only took one day off a week to work hard to catch up with classes in order to have an early holiday in June.”

The source continued that students had to undergo PCR tests once a week on campus, adding: “We will have lots of explaining to do.”

China has been struggling with a new wave of Covid-19 driven by the Omicron variant.

In late March, financial hub Shanghai entered a sudden lockdown with its 25 million residents being ordered to stay home. Restrictions still remain in force across large parts of the city.

Beijing has also been tackling a rise in cases, shutting down parts of the public transport network, closing restaurants and malls, and telling residents to work from home.

The Chengdu games were expected to operate on a closed-loop system similar to one used in the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing held in February.

A billboard advertising the event in Chengdu. Photo: Handout

Some university students in Chengdu have complained that they were not allowed to travel outside the city during the Labour Day holiday from April 30 to May 4 as part of pandemic control measures.

Previously, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Luxembourg withdrew from the event because of Covid-19 concerns.

A spokesman for Switzerland-based FISU – the International University Sports Federation – told the Associated Press last month that it had raised many concerns with Chinese authorities, and said officials had reassured them that Chengdu would not be locked down.

China is also due to hold the Asian Games from September 10-25 in Hangzhou. This event involves more than 11,000 athletes – more than the usual number of competitors at the Summer Olympics.