Teenagers toss balls at a basketball performance during the opening ceremony of the 8th Zhangjiagang Sports Meeting. [Photo/WeChat account: zjgwtgl]

The 8th Zhangjiagang Sports Meeting kicked off at the county-level city in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province on April 15 after a five-year hiatus.

More than 180 teams comprising over 30,000 athletes across age groups and professions are participating in the 6-month-long sports meet. The event features 33 kinds of sports, including popular ones such as marathon, dragon boat racing, 3-on-3 basketball, and street dance. A total of 1,124 gold medals will be up for grabs.

Organizers will also distribute 18,000 digital souvenirs and 1 million yuan ($145,077) worth of coupons that can be used for consumption of sporting goods and services.

Some events will be held in commercial districts, tourist attractions, and communities to promote the integration of sports and other industries.