September 4 - The 2010 Guangdong Gymnastics Invitation Tournament was held in Asian Games Town Gymnasium today as the first Gymnastics test event for the 16th Asian Games, also a full test on the software and hardware facilities of the Asian Games Town Gymnasium. Coaches, athletes and spectators attending the test event were greatly impressed. "This is a first-rate venue facility. We expect for all the spectacular competitions from the Asian countries in the Gymnasium this November."

The test event started 10 am on the September 4, involving mock competitions such as Men's Qualifications, Women's All-Around, Men's Floor, Men's Pommel Horse, Women's Vault, Men's Rings and Women's Even Bars. All participants were from the Guangdong Provincial Gymnastics Team.

Since this was a test event, not many spectators came in the morning's competition, a majority of them were the journalists from the country. Yet the athletes concentrated on the competition and won the applause with very difficult moves. After the intense competition in the whole morning, some of the athletes expressed their view on the Gymnastics venue of Asian Games Town Gymnasium during the interview by the media at the journalist corner. They all agreed that athletes will feel comfortable to compete in such a first-class environment venue with all the orderly apparatus.

At a press conference after the tournament, officials of the Sports Department of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC) told the media that there are 6,800 seats in the Asian Games Town Gymnasium which will be the venue for Gymnastics competitions of the 2010 Asiad in November. This was an important test and practice for the venue's functions and operation team. "The big screen and timing & scoring systems worked very well, so did the whole proceedings of the competitions." The media, athletes and coaches were very pleased with the arrangement by the operation teams for the competition venues. "The whole process ran very smoothly, from the opening ceremony to competition to the athletes leaving the venue." GAGOC's official from the Sports Department related that there will be many test events in the next 60+ days to test and improve the facilities.

Since August, the Asian Games Town Gymnasium has held several test events. Aside the just-closed test event of 2010 Table Tennis Open for Guangzhou disabled, 2010 China Squash Tournament (Guangzhou) and the current 2010 Guangdong Gymnastics Invitation Tournament, a test event of 2010 Guangzhou Province Billiard Competition will be held in late-September. All these events are for testing the venues to ensure first-class facilities for all the exciting competitions during the Games.