The 7th CISM Military World Games will open on Friday evening in central Chinese city Wuhan. The military gala, taking place in China for the first time, has already broken records.
The opening ceremony will present the world's largest 3D stage, using advanced projectors, lights and LED displays to form the 3-dimensional effect.
The high-tech elements used in the ceremony will help visually expand the stage's space, presenting a multi-dimensional visual effect and a 360-degree panoramic view.
There are some sports here that are hard to miss and not for the faint of heart. Parachuting is dubbed as "sport for the brave" as it is both challenging and thrilling. Formation skydiving, style skydiving and skydiving accuracy are other events set to thrill spectators at the MWG.
Military pentathlon is a polyathletic competition consisting of five events - shooting, obstacle run, obstacle swimming, throwing and cross-country running. The site is set up to simulate the battlefield environment, and so the competition stretches the limits of endurance.
The aeronautical pentathlon is one of the most military-focused and eye-catching competitions of the Games. It consists of ground, air, and water events, indoor and outdoor events, challenging athletes through physical, intellectual and skills-based tests.
It is the first time the Games has not been confined to the military bases. An athletes' Village was built in Wuhan, which can accomodate 10,000 residents. It's also the first time all competitions will happen in a single city and the first time that a 5G powered 8K TV and VR system have been operated.
This year's Games will have the largest number of events and participants ever, with badminton, table tennis, tennis and men's gymnastics included for the first time.
A total of 9,308 military personnel from 109 countries will compete in Wuhan, setting a record of the most participants in the Games' 24-year history.
The Wuhan Games offers 25 competition and two demonstration sports. In all, 329 gold medals will be up for grabs and this is another record for most golds in a single edition.
Among all the athletes, 67 have won championships in the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup and 118 were listed among top eight at the Rio 2016. 43 are champions in military-featured sporting events.
First held in 1995 in Rome, the Military World Games is a quadrennial multi-sport event for military personnel organized by the International Military Sports Council. The 10-day event in Wuhan will conclude on Oct. 27.
