The province hosted the seventh National Games for the Disabled in May 2007, the ninth Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities in October 2010 and the seventh Farmers' Games in May 2008.

Yunnan won three gold, four silver and four bronze medals in the 11th National Games in 2009. It has won gold medals in the men's speed walking race for five straight years and achieved good results in swimming, cycling and men's long-distance running.

In addition, it got two silver medals in the first World Mind Sports Games in 2008 and three bronze ones in the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010. In the 16th Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, Yunnan got two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. It also hosted the 12th and 13th provincial games in 2006 and 2010 and the sixth municipal games in 2008.

The sports industry had a total output value of 12.41 billion yuan during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) period, up 5.77 billion yuan and involving 190,000 workers. Its plateau training base has received more than 200,000 athletes from home and abroad in the same period. Sports lotteries raked in 10.66 billion yuan and helped collect 3.02 billion yuan for public welfare.

The province also has 16 projects to help the poor, 8 to boost resident welfare, 23 to improve people's health and almost 2,000 to make farmers exercise.