Beijing to promote winter sports by launching free courses

Photo taken at the Beijing Primary and Secondary School Hockey League on April 24, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- A project in Beijing will benefit more than 10,000 young students by giving away professional ice hockey training in a bid promote winter sports in the 2022 Winter Olympics host city.

The project, launched in Beijing on June 7, will grant the youngsters professional coaching and gear in courts with fine facilities.

Under the 13th Five Year Plan of Physical Development, Beijing has just released the Opinions on the Acceleration of Winter Sports Development (2016-2022) and supporting planning, according to government officials at the launch ceremony.

Promoting public ice sports, competitive ice sports, youth ice sports, the ice sports industry, ice sports competition, ice sports facilities and ice sports talent are the 7 core tasks of ice sports work in Beijing.

The capital will form a relatively complete ice sports service system by 2022 in preparation for the Winter Games. Beijing currently owns 15 ice hockey clubs and 116 youth ice hockey teams with nearly 2,000 players.

The plan calls for promotions in youth sports activities and the construction of youth sports clubs, sports in traditional schools and outdoor sports activity camps. The plan also requests the establishment of public winter sports activities such as figure skating, ice hockey, curling and snowboarding.

As a highly competitive or even aggressive game, ice hockey is admired by the public for its use of technology, and the demands placed on balance and physical strength. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also a big fan of ice hockey, as he said on an exclusive interview on Russian TV during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.

Few children in Beijing have the chance to experience ice hockey since it is an expensive sport for ordinary families. The project would grant a rare opportunity to youngsters who are interested in this sport.