LAUSANNE, July 26, 2025 – Chinese table tennis legend Ma Long and Hong Kong-born martial arts actor Jackie Chan were among the top celebrities who carried the first-ever World Games torch on 26 July, 12 days before the 12th edition of the global multi-sport event officially opens in Chengdu on 7 August. 

This historic journey, which beautifully blended ancient Shu civilization with modern landscapes while conveying the spirit of The World Games, featured 120 torchbearers ranging from international sports stars to local everyday heroes from various fields, including sports, entertainment, science and technology, agriculture, ecology, cultural studies, research, etc. Each stop was celebrated with exciting activities and performances as spectators received the torch with applause and cheers.

Following the flame-lighting ceremony at Sanxingdui Site, the first-ever torch for The World Games, named “Zhumeng” (literally “Bamboo Dream” in Chinese, which also sounds like “chasing dreams”), weaved its way across six major cultural landmarks in Chengdu, Deyang, and Meishan (all in Sichuan Province). With the theme “Lighting Dreams with The World Games”, the torch relay covered a total distance of 11km with stops at the Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu Wuhou Temple, Meishan Three Su Temple, and Tianfu New District Xinglong Lake Wetland Park.

THE FLAME-LIGHTING CEREMONY 

The symbolic flame was lit at around 08:30 local time at the sacrificial altar square of the Sanxingdui Site in Deyang, Sichuan, one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, thanks to the joint effort of Xiao Xianjin and Zhu Zhangyi, the two former curators of Sanxingdui Museum and Jinsha Site Museum. The flame was ignited using a sustainable technique that harnesses solar power and transforms it into fire – a fusion of ancient heritage and modern innovation. Wang Xiaohui, secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, and Shi Xiaolin, governor of Sichuan Province and chairperson of the organizing committee for the World Games 2025 Chengdu, jointly conducted the ceremonial flame presentation and lit the main cauldron.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Chengdu-born Huang Zhangjiayang, gold medallist in the rhythmic gymnastics team all-around at the Paris Olympics, had the honour of being the first torchbearer to officially kickoff the relay across time and space. This initial phase of the journey in Deyang, which covered 1.5km and passed through several landmark buildings, involved 20 torchbearers, including Olympic champions, scientific research pioneers, grassroots role models, and youth representatives. 

Huang Zhangjiayang handed over the torch to Spanish karate Olympic champion, Sandra Sanchez, the chairperson of the Athletes Committee of the International World Games Association (IWGA), who passed it on to the third runner, Hu Hetao, a Chengdu-born international football player.

Ma Long, the most decorated table tennis player in Olympic history and the Chinese athlete with the most Olympic gold medals, concluded this leg of the relay after nearly 40 minutes, returning to the altar with the torch in his hand. Ma Long, who was also a torchbearer for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, has a special connection to Chengdu, which is where the national table tennis team training base is located. He is now the vice president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association.

SECOND STOP

The Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, where the Golden Sun Bird was unearthed in 2001, was the next stop of the Chengdu World Games torch relay. Among the 15 torchbearers at this stop were Olympic gymnastics champion Zou Jingyuan, who started the relay and passed the torch to Li Ziqi, a phenomenal lifestyle vlogger and cultural heritage promoter. The third torchbearer was Wu Weiren, an academician and the chief designer of China’s lunar exploration project. Chen Ke, a 17-year-old middle school student, was the youngest torchbearer at this stop. In spite of undergoing many operations due to illness, Chen Ke has maintained an optimistic attitude and excelled in both character and academic performance, which led to him being named “National Good Youth of the New Era”. The last torchbearer was Guo Hanzhong, Deputy Director of the Cultural Relics Conservation Department of Sanxingdui Museum.

THIRD STOP

This stop produced one of the most enduring images of the relay, with Jackie Chan hoisting the “Bamboo Dream” torch at the top of the bamboo shoot-shaped tower at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, one of the most popular tourist attractions in China. This leg of the relay underlined the role of sports in promoting ecological protection. The first of the 12 torchbearers at this stop was Han Cong, a gold medalist in pair skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics. He began the unique “step-by-step climb” to the top of the tower. Other notable figures were the second torchbearer, James Edward Ayala, a foreign giant panda research expert; the fifth torchbearer, Liang Enrong, a winner of the National May 1st Labor Medal and a representative of great craftsmen. Tan Jintao, the giant panda keeper, who has worked at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding since 1999 and is affectionately known as “Grandpa Tan” by the public, passed torch to the last torchbearer, Jackie Chan, who in 2016 received an honorary lifetime achievement Oscar. He previously participated in the Olympic torch relays for Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022 and the Paralympic torch relay for Paris 2024. 

FOURTH STOP

The profound heritage of the Chengdu Wuhou Temple, the world’s most influential museum of the Three Kingdoms relics, was showcased during the fourth stop of the World Games torch relay on Saturday. The first torchbearer at this stop was Zhang Juanjuan, the Chinese archery Olympic champion. There were 15 torchbearers in total, and the last torchbearers were Deng Yawen and Wu Dan, the athlete-coach combination that won the gold medal in women’s freestyle BMX at the Paris Olympics.

FIFTH STOP

The torch relay at the Meishan Three Su Temple explored the family mottos and traditions of the three Su from the Song dynasty, who were renowned for their literary achievements. There were 20 torchbearers at this stop starting with Xiao Yanning, the champion of synchronized swimming group freestyle at the Paris Olympics. The last torchbearers were Ou Zixia and Huang Yongsheng, the athlete-coach duo that helped the Chinese women’s hockey team win Olympic medals. The relay also featured Liang Yuxiang, China’s oldest Dakar finisher; Sweden’s Sofia Olofsson, one of the greatest female muaythai athletes of all time, who was ranked fifth in The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time poll of 2021; as well as Liu Chuanjian and Bi Nan, the heroic crew members of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

SIXTH STOP

The historic World Games torch relay completed its journey of connecting the past and the present at the Tianfu New District Xinglong Lake Wetland Park. It was on the shores of this lake that the “park city” concept was first proposed, leading to a grand blueprint for the scenic Tianfu New Area. The torch relay at Xinglong Lake showed the future vision of an innovative Chengdu, which is poised to host a green, low-carbon and sustainable World Games.

Thirty-eight torchbearers took part in the relay at this final stop, starting from Zhang Yawen, Chongqing’s first badminton world champion. The relay began from the lawn in front of the Tianfu New District Planning Exhibition Hall and passed through iconic scenes such as the supercomputing center, ecological greenway, and lakeside viewing platform, covering a total distance of about 4 kilometers. The torchbearers passed through iconic scenes such as the supercomputing center, ecological greenway, and lakeside viewing platform. 

Notable names include Li Wenwen, two-time Olympic weightlifting champion, Song Yonghua, president of the University of Macau and fellow of the Chinese Society of Electrical Engineering; Hu Ke, a volunteer for the Chengdu World Games and guide of the Chinese delegation at the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade; Zhang Guirong, a model online car-hailing driver and winner of the National May 1st Labor Medal; John Fairlie, the British designer of the Chengdu World Games emblem, and Feng Benqian, the designer of the Chengdu World Games torch; Fang Zhenghua and Li Liangzhi, members of Homies, the street dance team from Chengdu that secured third place at the VIBE World Dance Competition this year.

Famous German life saving athlete Marcel Hassemeier, who is ranked fourth among The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time concluded the first-ever World Games torch relay, conveying the global vision of the quadrennial event.

The World Games in Chengdu will take place from 7 to 17 August with more than 4,000 athletes competing in 60 disciplines across 34 sports. This event primarily showcases non-Olympic sports and disciplines.

Courtesy AIPS Media