University players take part in a soccer match in Shanghai in May. [Photo by Zhang Wei/for China Daily]

Encouraging more students to embrace sports and adopt healthier lifestyles has always been a priority for the International University Sports Federation. The organization proposed and developed the FISU Healthy Campus program, which aims to enhance all aspects of well-being for students and campus communities in general.

FISU acting president Leonz Eder said: "It's a mix of education, culture and sport. We also take great care of the huge number of students on campus who do not compete at the Games.

"Less than 1 percent of sports students worldwide make it to the top, but tens of millions of students need a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition. That's why we started to promote the Healthy Campus program."

A number of elite coaches and team leaders, including former Olympic and world champions, are behind the student-athletes who excelled at the Games in Chengdu, and the coaches' participation in university sports is always welcomed.

One such example is Ding Ning, who joined the Chengdu Games as deputy leader of the Chinese table tennis squad.

"I just told the players competing in the World University Games for the first time that they needed to be focused, play each match well, and have the best preparation," Ding said.

"A young player told me days before the Games that she was very nervous playing in front of a home crowd. I told her that she needed to get used to the noise from the stands and consider it as support."