The 14th National Student Sports Games, the country's highest level student sports event, kicked off with a grandiose opening ceremony in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province on the evening of July 12.

The opening ceremony of the 14th National Student Sports Games is held on the evening of July 12 in Qingdao. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the General Administration of Sport of China, as well as the Communist Youth League Center, this year's National Student Sports Games brings together college and middle school students.

A total of 33 delegations from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, as well as Macao Special Administrative Region are participating in the competition. Around 14,000 athletes, coaches, staff, and volunteers are attending the event.

Around 14,000 athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers are attending the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

There are 16 venues for the competitions, which include swimming, track and field, basketball, football, volleyball, table tennis, aerobics, martial arts, badminton, sailing, beach volleyball, as well as rope skipping. They are divided into three groups: university group A, university group B, and the middle school group.

According to the organizing committee, the event, which was supposed to be held in 2020 and was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, offers an opportunity to demonstrate the strategic achievements of the Chinese people in combating the virus.

This will be the last edition of the National Student Sports Games. It will be combined into the first National Students (Youth) Sports Games, which will be held in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The National Student Sports Games is the country's highest level student sports event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Performances at the opening ceremony display Qingdao's distinctive culture, as well as students' passion and spirit. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Students perform during the opening ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Student Sports Games brings together college and middle school students. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]