By Wan Qixuan and Tang Huirun
Six bilingual broadcasting students from theSchool of International Studies at the Communication University of China (CUC) provided bilingual (English and Chinese) venue announcing services for the beach handball event during the 6th Asian Beach Games in Sanya, Hainan Province.
The students were responsible for announcements in both English and Chinese at the beach handball venue, including match information, athlete introductions, score updates, competition procedures and emergency notices. Their work supported on-site communication for athletes, officials, media representatives and international spectators.
CUC bilingual broadcasting studentQi Yuxuan (Right) is confirming the athletes’ order of appearance. (Photo: SABGOC)
Beach handball, one of the featured events at the quadrennial Asian Beach Games, brought together athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions this year. The sport’s fast pace and outdoor setting placed high demands on announcers’language accuracy, reaction speed and coordination with the venue operations team.
CUC bilingual broadcasting students Wang Zihan, Du Mi,Wan Qixuan, Kang Dingle and Zhang Hanrui, are announcing match scores and cheering on the athletes.(Photos: SABGOC)
The six CUC bilingual broadcasting students were selected through a voice auditionand received targeted training before departure. The training covered beach handball terminology and rules, English sports commentary expressions, emergency communication procedures and cross-cultural etiquette.
After arriving in Sanya, the students worked with the media and communications team of the organizing committee to familiarize themselves with the venue’s audio system, competition schedule and announcement scripts. They also took part in rehearsals before matches and conducted repeated checks before live announcements.
“Thefirst time we got the English announcing scripts, we really felt the pressure,” said Du Mi, a sophomore inCUC’s Chinese-English bilingual broadcasting program. “But the more we rehearsed with the competition schedule and venue team, the clearerwe became about our role.”
During the Games, high temperatures, strong sea winds and sudden rainfall brought additional challenges to the announcing work. The students adjusted microphones, confirmed script changes and coordinated with technical staff during the event. They worked in shifts from 8 a.m. to dusk, with some days lasting nearly 10 hours.
They introduced athletes, announced real-time scores and statistics, and provided venue information in Chinese or English. During breaks, they also gave brief introductions to Sanya’s local culture and event arrangements.
In one group-stage match, after the Chinese men’s team executed a spin shot, announcer Kang Dingle described the action through the venue speakers. The moment drew cheers from spectators and became one of the most memorable calls for the student announcing team. “We were not only reading scripts. We also needed to respond to what was happening on the court in real time,” said Wang Zihan, who was in charge of Chinese-language announcing.
The team communicated with coaches and referees from Thailand, Mongolia, Qatar and other delegations to confirm the pronunciation of athletes’ names.To improve on-site communication, the students also learned simple greetings in languages including Arabic and Urdu for some delegations. According to the students, several athletes responded positively after hearing greetings in their own languages. After one match, a player from the Philippines visited the announcing booth and expressedappreciation in Mandarin to the team.
Kang Dingle (Left) and Wan Qixuan (Right) are confirming the pronunciation of players’ names with coaches of foreign teams. (Photos: SABGOC)
For the students,the event brought their classroom training to life. They said the experience deepened their understanding of the standards required in international sports communication, particularly the need for accuracy, quick reaction and composure during live broadcasts.
This assignment waspart of CUC’s ongoing bilingual broadcasting practice in major sports events. In recent years, students from the program have contributed to broadcasting and mediawork for events including the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the Hangzhou Asian Games and the 2025 Chengdu World Games.The School of International Studies will continue to support students’participationin major sporting and cultural events, helpingthem strengthen their professional skills in international communication.
Editor: Li Shuxuan, Fang Yiran
Managing Editor: Tang Huirun
Editor-in-chief: Yu Ran, Yang Zhongtian
