To celebrate the 74th anniversary of Beihang University, the 64th Faculty and Student Sports Meet was grandly held on October 16 and 18.

Secretary of the CPC Beihang University Committee Wang Yunpeng, Deputy Party Secretaries Liu Shuchun and Cheng Bo, Vice Presidents Lyu Weifeng, Lyu Jinhu and Yan Xiaojun, and heads of various schools and departments attended the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was presided over by Liu Shuchun.

With the theme of "Soaring with Aerospace Patriotism, Embracing Sports at Beihang," this year's sports meet saw broad participation from both faculty and students with 7,411 participants in competitions and more than 14,000 participants in various performance activities. More than 100 teachers and students from the Hangzhou International Campus came to Beijing to compete alongside their peers.

On the morning of October 18, the sports meet officially kicked off to the solemn national anthem. 45 formations comprising more than 2,880 faculty and students led by school Party secretaries, deans, and department heads, marched into the venue. With firm steps and resounding slogans, each formation marched forward with high spirits and full enthusiasm, demonstrating the vigorous and striving spirit of Beihang faculty and students.

On behalf of the University Party Committee, Wang Yunpeng extended warm congratulations on the opening of the sports meet, expressed sincere gratitude to all staff who meticulously prepared and fully guaranteed the operation of the events, and offered cordial greetings to all athletes and referees. He noted that sports are an important carrier of moral education and an important way to strengthen physical fitness, temper character, and unite people. In recent years, the University Party Committee has incorporated sports work into the overall development plan of the university, launched special initiatives to improve students' physical fitness, regularly organized fitness activities for all faculty and staff, and actively created a campus culture that advocates sports and values health, fully demonstrating the spirit of Beihang teachers and students in surpassing themselves and pursuing excellence.

Wang Yunpeng put forward three expectations for all teachers and students. First, strive bravely on the field and showcase the demeanour of Beihang. He encouraged all athletes to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the competitions and dare to challenge their limits, demonstrating the spirit of solidarity and upward vitality in competitions. Second, keep fit and cultivate a healthy lifestyle. He hoped that all teachers and students would strengthen their physique and improve their physical and mental wellbeing through persistent exercise, and engage in academic growth and career development with robust physical fitness and high spirits. Third, draw strength from striving and bravely shoulder the mission of serving the nation. He urged the community to translate the tenacity and fighting spirit on the sports field into concrete actions in academic pursuit, scientific research and teaching, inherit and carry forward the Beihang Spirit with "Serving the Nation through Aerospace Endeavors" at its core, and demonstrate strong responsibility on the new journey of building a strong nation.

At the opening ceremony, university leaders presented the 2025-2026 Sports Advanced College Awards—the "Beihang Cup" and "Merit Cup"—to recognize their contributions to campus athletics.

Representatives of referees and athletes solemnly took the oath on stage in turn, promising to abide by competition rules and uphold the sportsmanship of fairness, justice, and striving courage.

"I declare the 64th Faculty and Student Sports Meet of Beihang University open!”announced Liu Shuchun. A total of 1,800 teachers and students presented wonderful performances to kick off the grand event, fully demonstrating Beihang's uplifting spirit and the fruitful achievements in sports culture development.

Following the opening ceremony, Wang Yunpeng struck the gong to start the faculty tug-of-war contest.

Cheers echoed across the field. Tug-of-war teams pulled together with concerted strength and united resolve.

On the tracks, athletes focused intently and sprinted toward the finish line, releasing accumulated power in runs and leaps. Sprints, jumps and cheers—sweat glistened under the autumn sunlight.

The fun events were also in full swing. As long ropes rose and fell, team members kept in step and cooperated as one. Beihang faculty and students demonstrated their fighting spirit in competition and collaboration.

After intense competition, the sports meet produced the top eight teams in the overall team scores for faculty, undergraduate, and graduate categories, along with honors for sportsmanship, organization, fun events, and group calisthenics.

The sports meet was hosted by Beihang University, organized by the Sports Department and the Trade Union, and co-organized by the School of Electronic and Information Engineering, with two competition days on October 16 and 18. The competition featured a rich variety of events combining competitiveness and fun, including traditional track-and-field events such as sprints, middle- and long-distance running, and long jump, physical fitness test events such as pull-ups and standing long jump, and national fitness events such as shot put and medicine ball.

Editor: Liu Tingting