China sees growing sports enthusiasm

A young athlete performs at the COOGHI booth during the 32nd China International Bicycle Fair in Shanghai, eastern China on May 5. – Xinhua photo

BEIJING (Sept 12): Earlier this August, Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao became the youngest athlete to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics at the age of 11.

Zheng’s debut comes as the number of young Chinese athletes taking up the niche sport grows. The sport made its debut at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

It is estimated that millions of people in China have taken up skateboarding in recent years.

The growing popularity of skateboarding and other sports in China, especially among young people, has been fueled in part by the promotion of public fitness in the country.

Promoting the public’s fitness is a priority of China’s sports policy, according to a report by think tank Xinhua, titled “The Road to Becoming a Sports Powerhouse,” published on Tuesday.

“China is striving to better meet the sports needs of different age groups and categories,” said the report by the Xinhua Institute, a leading think tank owned by Xinhua News Agency.

In 2014, China elevated public fitness to a national strategy. By the end of 2023, the number of sports venues in China had reached nearly 4.6 million, with a total area of ​​4.07 billion square meters and a per capita area of ​​2.89 square meters.

In 2020, more than 37 percent of the Chinese population participated in sports regularly.

Life expectancy in the country was over 78 years in 2021.

In addition to skateboarding, other sports, such as cycling, sport climbing and surfing, which were unknown to most people, have also become new attractions in China. And that is not to mention sports such as tennis, golf and ice skating, which are already practiced by people in many parts of the country.

Ni Jia, founder of a bicycle shop in Shanghai, says her shop used to sell an average of only two or three bicycles a month, but that number has increased to 70 to 80 by 2023, with prices ranging from a few hundred yuan to tens of thousands of yuan.

“The market is quite big,” Ni said.

According to an industry report, China will have 636 climbing gyms in 2023, up 31 percent from 2022. “Climbing gyms have become extremely popular,” said Zhou Jinfang, manager of a climbing gym in Shanghai, who noted that the gym has attracted an average of 1,500 to 1,600 people per month in recent months.

A report from Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com found that transaction volumes for climbing chalk, helmets and shoes rose 151 percent, 42 percent and 40 percent respectively in the first half of this year compared to a year earlier. In contrast, transaction volumes for surf swimsuits, leashes and surfboards rose 473 percent, 175 percent and 40 percent respectively.

In response to the public’s growing enthusiasm for sports, the government has promoted the coordinated development of recreational sports, competitive sports and the sports industry, making sports a new driving force for economic development.

According to the think tank’s report, China’s sports industry has grown by an average of more than 10 percent per year over the past decade.

According to Wang Yuxiong, head of the Sports Industry Development Research Center at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, sports consumption and the sports industry are becoming increasingly important as a new form of consumption and an emerging industry respectively, with significant growth potential.

Decades ago, sports in China meant only simple physical exercises.

Nowadays, people have access to more sports choices and facilities. Regular participation in sports activities becomes a part of their lives. – Xinhua