World-class speed climbers compete in int'l climbing championships in Ningbo, E China's Zhejiang

Elite speed climbers from across the globe gathered to compete at the Belt and Road International Climbing Master Tournament held on Nov. 16 at a park in Haishu district, Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Nearly 40 speed climbers from China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region took part in the competition.

Photo shows the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road International Climbing Master Tournament in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Mountaineering Association)

Chinese climbers Wu Peng and Deng Lijuan claimed gold in the men's and women's speed climbing events, respectively.

Launched in 2018, the Belt and Road International Climbing Master Tournament[YP1] aims to deepen cooperation between China and other Belt and Road participating countries in the field of sports and serves as a bridge linking different countries.

The recent tournament held in Ningbo, one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, marked the third edition of the event. It was expected to benefit other Belt and Road countries while boosting the sport of climbing in Ningbo, according to Li Guowei, an official from the General Administration of Sport of China.

Athletes compete in the final of the Belt and Road International Climbing Master Tournament in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Mountaineering Association)

“Moving forward, we hope to make the competition more systematic and branded, expanding it to other Belt and Road countries and regions to strengthen exchanges among climbers and deepen friendship between nations," he added.

Chinese climber Wang Xinshang (left) and Indonesian athlete Aspar Jaelolo Barakaili embrace after competing at the Belt and Road International Climbing Master Tournament in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Chinese Mountaineering Association)

"China is my second hometown. I've participated in many competitions here and gained a lot. I hope I can come back again for more competitions next year," said Aspar Jaelolo Barakaili, a climber from Indonesia who took part in the competition in Ningbo.

The competition was jointly hosted by the mountain sports management center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Mountaineering Association, and co-organized by Ningbo Sports Bureau and the people's government of Haishu district, with support from the culture, broadcast and television, tourism, and sports bureau of Haishu district and the people's government of Yinjiang township, Haishu district.