Chengdu is the third Chinese mainland city to host the FISU Summer World University Games ©Getty Images

Officials in Chengdu have underlined the benefits of playing host to this year’s International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer World University Games.

Approximately 9,500 athletes and officials from around 100 countries have arrived in the Chinese city to compete at the multi-sport event which opened on July 28 and is due to close on Tuesday (August 8).

The Games was originally scheduled to be staged in 2021, only to be postponed twice due to COVID-19 restrictions in China.

Chengdu is no stranger to hosting major international sport events but has undergone a transformation to be ready to stage the Games.

A total of 13 new venues were constructed, while 36 were renovated in the city's preparations for Chengdu 2021.

Among those is the Dong'an Lake Sports Park, located in the Longquanyi District, which is the centrepiece for the Games and hosted the Opening Ceremony.

The complex is spread out over 678 acres and consists of one main sports stadium with a capacity of 40,000 and four other multi-functional venues with around 18,000 spectator seats each.

The Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Sports Park, opened in 2021, is among the venues that have been constructed before the FISU Summer World University Games ©HKS Architects
The Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Sports Park, opened in 2021, is among the venues that have been constructed before the FISU Summer World University Games ©HKS Architects

Chen Zhi, deputy director of the Chengdu Sports Bureau, told Chinese newspaper the People’s Daily that staging major events is not only helping to "promoting business" and "benefitting the people" but also result in a "multiplier" effect on economic and social development.

It is reported that sports consumption in Chengdu will reach CNY57.86 billion (£6.33 billion/$8.07 billion/€7.32 billion) and value of the city’s sports industry will grow to CNY100.5 billion (£10.99 billion/$14.02 billion/€12.71 billion).

Chengdu has also looked to use the FISU Games to showcase cutting-edge technology implemented in several venues including the Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Sports Park and Xindu Xiangcheng Sports Centre Natatorium.

"All kinds of innovative resources have gathered in Chengdu, and the achievements of independent innovation have been fully applied, adding luster (sic) to the smart Universiade, empowering industrial development, and contributing scientific and technological strength to the city and benefiting the people," added Zhang, deputy director of Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau Wing.

Chengdu is the third Chinese mainland city to host the biennial FISU Summer World University Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011.