With the coming of the 2008
Beijing Olympics, China is taking the opportunity to promote sports among its
900 million-strong rural population.
The State General Administration of Sports has recently announced the
development of a project that aims to encourage the entire population to take
part in sports.
Public sports
equipment in rural areas. [cnsphoto]
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And,
vice-director of the Administration, Feng Jianzhong, says the focus of the
project is now turning to China's vast rural areas.
With the majority of China's 1.3 billion people living in rural areas, Feng
Jianzhong says only when rural residents take part in sports and fitness
activities, can we say the Olympic spirit and ideal have spread throughout the
Chinese public.
"We keep on saying that we will hold a special and high-level Olympics with
Chinese characteristics. But can you call it an 'excellent Olympics' if the over
one billion people in China don't take part in sports, supporting and enjoying
the Games?"
For quite a long period of time, China's rural areas have had a severe
shortage of public sports facilities due to their poor economic condition.
Many villages even don't have any public sports grounds or equipment.
Feng Jianzhong says, starting from this year, China's central and
local governments have strengthened investment in the construction of sports
facilities in rural areas.
In some well-developed provinces, the drive
for public fitness facilities has gotten a new boost. East China's Jiang Su
province is just one example.
Li Yining, Director of the Provincial
Sports Bureau introduces their ambitious plan.
"By 2010, the province will fulfill the goal of having a 'sports ground for
every village.' South Jiansu is scheduled to accomplish the plan first in 2007,
the middle part will be finished by 2008 and the north by 2010."
Li
Yining explains that the province has set different timetables for different
regions considering their imbalanced economic conditions.
Also, the
State General Administration of Sports has decided to carry out a nationwide
project to promote sports and fitness among farmers in the next five years.
The target of the project is to have one sixth of villages across the
country with established public sports facilities by 2010. This will benefit 150
million rural residents.
