Team China aims high for Tokyo Games

Team China is ready to compete with sportsmanship and discipline, while aiming to sit atop both the gold medal tally and overall medals table, said chief of the Chinese Olympic delegation on Thursday in Tokyo.

Gou Zhongwen, who is also head of the General Administration of Sport, made the remarks during an online meeting with the Chinese Embassy in Japan.

"China aims to achieve first place in the medal tally and will try our best to ensure that the delegation is not involved in COVID-19 transmissions," said Gou, adding that it is a top priority that all Chinese athletes have to compete with sportsmanship and discipline, holding a zero-tolerance stance against doping.

China is sending its largest delegation to an overseas Olympics to Tokyo, with 431 athletes set to compete in a record 225 events across 30 sporting disciplines.

On behalf of embassy personnel and all Chinese compatriots in Japan, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou welcomed the delegation.

"The coronavirus has brought unprecedented challenges to the Tokyo Olympics, making it the first postponed Olympics in history and the first Olympics that will be held in an emergency situation and without spectators," said Kong, adding that the Chinese Embassy in Japan will ensure personal safety and health of the Chinese delegation.

"I am looking forward to seeing our athletes overcome difficulties brought by the pandemic, make new achievements and achieve glory for our country," he said.

"Meanwhile, I hope the Olympic delegation have exchanges with athletes from all over the world and send them the message that the Chinese government is confident and capable of hosting a simple, safe and amazing Winter Games in Beijing in 2022."

With the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on Friday, Team China have been in the final stages of their training.

Chen Long, the badminton champion from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, also attended the online meeting and said his team is making good progress in adapting their training sessions to anti-pandemic measures that have brought them some inconvenience.

"The current training sessions and living conditions are good," said Taekwondo veteran and two-time Olympic gold medalist Wu Jingyu. "Everyone is full of energy, and we will definitely work hard to achieve the best results."