An Iranian athlete enjoys simulated boxing in the video games room at the Athletes' Village. [Sun Xiaochen /China Daily]

Guangzhou - After the dining hall, the video games room is proving to be the most popular spot in the Athletes' Village, as it provides a release valve for athletes between their competitions and training sessions.

Stepping into the 60-square-meter room inside the service center, your ears are soon bombarded with the sound of playful banter as diminutive gymnasts race pumped-up weightlifters on driving simulators, while Thai boxers outshoot ballroom dancers at the hoops machines nearby.

"There's a lot of fun here. All the young guys like playing video games to relax," said Aiman Al Katheri, a Yemeni beach volleyball player who was testing his driving skills on a racing simulator.

"I enjoy the racing games because they're more exciting and exhilarating. I can't imagine ever driving a Ferrari in real life, let alone crashing it at high speed, but I can do it on these machines," he said.

Located in the central area of the residential zone, the service center includes a free Internet bar, a TV area and small meeting rooms. While the games room has the highest occupancy rate of all the facilities here, the TV area is also in hot demand because the athletes' apartments lack TVs and the Internet.

"It's always crowded here," said Feng Mucong, who manages the service center, which is open from 8 am to midnight daily.

"We experience our 'rush hour' from 6 pm to 10 pm, and the athletes often have to wait outside because we get flooded."

Shooting hoops is also a perennial favorite.

"I usually shoot very high points on this game, which is the best one here," said Hossein Senkaei Naserabad, an Iranian athlete.

"Although I'm not a basketball player, I'm good at this game. Sometimes I'll have a little contest with my teammates. Whoever scores the highest has to buy drinks for the rest of us. It's great fun here, like paradise."

The games room also allows for cross-gender battles.

"I enjoy the video games here like the men. I like to play with the guys from different countries. It's a good place to make new friends," said Susila Adhixari, a Nepalese judoka.

China Daily