BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 82 athletes have been named in China's squad for the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
The Chinese team for the Oct. 6-18 Games includes 50 women and 32 men who will participate in archery, athletics, badminton, 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, canoeing, cycling, dance sport, diving, fencing, field hockey, golf, modern pentathlon, gymnastics, roller skating, rowing, shooting, swimming, sport climbing, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon and wrestling.
Table tennis player Sun Yingsha and diver Lian Junjie are the biggest names on the roster. The 17-year-old Sun won the women's singles title at the world youth championships in 2017. She was also a member of the Chinese squad which won the women's team gold in the Jarkarta Asian Games. Lian, 17, is the youngest world championship gold medalist on the current Chinese diving squad.
Gao Zhidan, China's Chef de Mission for Buenos Aires 2018, said they would not be solely focusing on the number of medals won during the Games.
"What distinguishes the Youth Olympic Games from some other multi-sport events like the Olympic Games and the Asian Games is that the YOG program also offers a range of educational and cultural opportunities that build on the Olympic values," said Gao.
"I hope all the Chinese athletes can participate in the educational and cultural opportunities, and in that process let the world know more about China's younger generation," he added.
China won a total of 63 medals at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing, including 37 golds.
The Youth Olympic Games is for competitors aged between 15 and 18 years old and the event in the Argentinian capital will welcome young athletes from 206 countries and regions.
