A press conference for the 100-day countdown to the first National Youth Games (NYG) was held in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province and the host city, on July 9.

It will be the largest national sports meeting Fujian has ever hosted since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Nearly 20,000 athletes in 55 delegations from across the nation, including Hong Kong and Macao, are expected to participate in the event, scheduled to begin on Oct 18 and run through Oct 27.

There will be 26 major sports along with 305 smaller ones at the NYG, of which Fujian will host 23 major ones and 290 smaller ones, with the rest arranged outside the province for austerity reasons, according to NYG’s organizing committee.

NYG will not only advocate mass sports, but also boost the economic and social development of Fujian and consolidate its reputation, said authorities.

A press conference for the 100-day countdown to the first National Youth Games (NYG) held in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province and the host city, on July 9. [Photo by Hu Meidong/China Daily]