The 17th Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival opened at Dishui Lake in Lin-gang Special Area on Oct 18, drawing over 100 international guests and overseas students from more than 10 countries and regions, including Australia, Cuba, and Uzbekistan, to foster cross-border exchanges via sports.

Guided by the Shanghai Sports Bureau and hosted by the Shanghai Sports Federation, the festival set two venues: Dishui Lake Square as the main venue and Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort as the branch venue. It boasts four interdisciplinary event categories – ice sports, running, group fitness, and esports – to suit all age groups.

On Oct 18, highlights included Shanghai's first official Valorant mobile esports tournament co-hosted with Tencent Games, and a group fitness session blended with pop electronic music. A 10-km lake run, a 5-km walk, and the Shanghai Youth Alpine Skiing Championships kicked off on the same day.

Moreover, more than 40 organizations hosted a carnival at Dishui Lake Square, showcasing high-tech smart sports like robot dance, drone soccer, and virtual racing, traditional folk sports including dragon-lion dance, and trendy sports such as golf and rugby.

Prior to the opening, a month-long citywide warm-up campaign was held with activities in commercial areas, campuses, and scenic spots. It brought rope skipping, shuttlecock kicking, and plank support to business hubs, launched ice sports experiences at Shanghai L+SNOW Indoor Skiing Theme Resort, and invited Olympic champion Zhong Tianshi to visit local schools to inspire young people to participate in sports.