Jia Bing, Director of the Aviation Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, declared the opening ceremony officially underway (Photo by Yang Yang )
Wang Jun, Secretary of the Karamay District Committee, presided over the opening ceremony.
Wang Jun, Secretary of the Karamay District Committee (Photo by He Wei )
Bai Zhengsheng, Vice Mayor of Karamay, delivered a welcome speech (Photo by Yang Xiao)
Bai Zhengsheng, Vice Mayor of Karamay, delivered a welcome address, expressing gratitude to the Aviation Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Aeronautical Sports Association, the Sports Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the Aeronautical Sports Association of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for their long-term care and trust in Karamay’s sports endeavors. He also extended heartfelt thanks and high respect to all staff members who worked diligently for this model aircraft event.
Bai Zhengsheng said, "Two days ago, on this very field, the 13th National Games Model Aircraft Qualifying Tournament was held, where 141 participants secured their tickets to the finals in Tianjin. Today, we are honored to host the 2017 National Aerospace Model Championship here, aiming to bring this event to new heights. Through this competition, we hope to strengthen learning and exchanges with model aircraft enthusiasts across the country, promote a virtuous cycle between competitive sports and industrial development, and advance the aerospace model movement into broader fields. At the same time, we strive to make Karamay a gathering place for national aerospace and model aircraft enthusiasts, a testing ground for aviation technology, national defense reserve talent development, and innovative project evaluation, making greater contributions to the advancement of national sports."
Accompanied by the crisp and unified sound of marching steps, the national flag slowly entered the venue (Photo by He Wei )
Competing teams at the opening ceremony (Photo by Yang Xiao)
It is understood that from 2015 to 2016, Karamay City successfully hosted a series of national-level events for two consecutive years, including the National Cross-Country Challenge for Automobiles and Motorcycles, the National Model Aircraft Invitational Tournament, the China All-Terrain Vehicle Championship, and the China Production Car Performance Championship. The success of these events greatly ignited the enthusiasm of local residents, promoted the vigorous development of Karamay’s cultural and sports undertakings, and helped more people get to know and understand this safe, modern, civilized, green, and rapidly developing new city.
The referee representative took the oath on-site (Photo by Yang Xiao)
The athlete representative took the oath (Photo by He Wei )
Nie Chun, Secretary of the Party Group of the Autonomous Region Sports Bureau, delivered the opening speech, stating that this event is large in scale and high in level, bringing together 30 top-tier model aircraft teams from across the country, with over 600 athletes and coaches in total. The scale is unprecedented and the competition fierce, making it not only a grand gathering in the history of Xinjiang’s sports, but also a significant event for China’s model aircraft movement, as well as a gathering dedicated to advancing technological innovation and realizing the dream of strengthening the nation through sports.
Nie Chun noted that this competition will not only enhance learning, exchanges, and interaction in the model aircraft movement between Xinjiang and other provinces and cities across the country, but also deepen communication, interaction, and integration among people of all ethnic groups nationwide, which is of great practical significance for promoting ethnic unity and maintaining the overall goals of social stability and lasting peace in Xinjiang.
Nie Chun said, "On behalf of the Sports Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, I would like to extend warm congratulations on the successful convening of this competition. I also express sincere gratitude to the General Administration of Sport of China for its care, trust, and support for sports in Xinjiang. My heartfelt greetings go out to all participating athletes, coaches, referees, staff, and volunteers. I also offer my deepest thanks to the Karamay Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal People’s Government, the Karamay District Party Committee, the District People’s Government for their strong support and meticulous organization of this event, as well as to all on-site staff for their hard work."
A highly characteristic performance of Dolan Muqam from Xinjiang at the opening ceremony (Photo by He Wei )
At the opening ceremony, the athlete and referee representatives of the competition took solemn oaths. This was followed by performances, including a thrilling model aircraft show brought to the event by the Dolan Muqam performance—
First came the indoor remote-controlled aerobatic flight demonstration. This model aircraft, weighing no more than 300 grams, performed a series of aerial maneuvers including diamond loops with rolls, top hat side slips with rolls, bidirectional rolls in horizontal figure eights, horizontal half circles, and 45-degree dives with half rolls.
Next was the rubber-powered indoor aircraft event. These two model aircraft, each weighing just 5 grams, are the lightest and smallest in this championship, reflecting, to some extent, the progress of technology and the development of the model aircraft field.
At the opening ceremony, local model aircraft enthusiasts from Karamay presented an exciting aerial combat performance (Photo by He Wei )
The third performance was the indoor remote-controlled electric dogfighting event, represented by the Karamay Model Aircraft Association.
Reporters observed four model aircraft engaging in fierce aerial combat over the gymnasium. Each aircraft had red and blue streamers attached to their tails, and participants had to maneuver their models to cut the opponent’s streamers while protecting their own. This event required teamwork, excellent piloting skills, and quick reflexes.
The final performance was the indoor remote-controlled dual-aircraft formation flying, referred to as the "indoor pas de deux of model aircraft." Two remote-controlled planes, synchronized to background music, performed coordinated formation aerobatics. The two aircraft took off in sequence and danced gracefully in the sky, drawing beautiful curves.
Model aircraft soaring inside the gymnasium (Photo by Yang Yang)
Local model aircraft enthusiasts from Karamay remotely controlling their aircraft for an aerial combat performance (Photo by Yang Xiao)
It is reported that the 13th National Games Model Aircraft Qualifying Tournament and the 2017 National Aerospace Model Championship are jointly organized by the Aviation Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Aeronautical Sports Association, the Sports Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the People’s Government of Karamay City. They are co-hosted by the Aeronautical Sports Association of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the People’s Government of Karamay District, the Karamay Municipal Bureau of Culture and Sports, and the Karamay Municipal Association for Science and Technology.
Leaders attending the opening ceremony included Wang Lei, Deputy Director of the Aviation Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China; Du Yong, Standing Committee Member and Head of the Propaganda Department of Karamay Municipal Party Committee; Zhang Hu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Group of the Karamay Municipal People’s Congress Standing Committee; and Wei Tianfeng, Vice Chairman of the Municipal CPPCC.
Before the start of the opening ceremony, the event organizers treated the participating teams and audience to a rousing chorus of "The Song of Karamay" and a lively dance "Auspicious Flying," which helped build excitement in advance and allowed more out-of-town participants to gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for the oil city of Karamay.