Shanghai makes a play for fitness
Updated: 2012-06-11 09:04
By Tang Zhe in Shanghai (China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Participants of a long-distance race hail after its start at Beijing Olympic Park on Sunday. Cui Meng / China Daily |
The curtains rose on Sunday on the first Shanghai Citizens Sports Meeting - an event intended to help everyone get fit.
The event, which runs through November, will be held every four years during the period of the Olympic Games.
There will be 50 sports offered and 2,399 games. Residents of Shanghai who want to take part can apply online and at application stations around the city.
More than 200,000 people had already registered before the official opening, and the organizing committee estimated the total number of participants will reach 1 million.
Several Shanghai-born sports stars - including Olympic champion Liu Xiang, retired Chinese basketball star Yao Ming and Sun Wen, former captain of the national women's soccer team - appeared at the opening ceremony at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.
The city orienteering challenge, the opening event of the five-month period, hit the road in the morning to warm up the metropolis.
A total of 1,320 participants in 330 teams were clocked to finish the 65-kilometer races and assigned to finish different tasks at six Shanghai landmarks during the race.
"The activity is a good channel for people to build up trust with each other and nurture a team spirit, and we are very glad to have the chance to do exercises in such an entertaining way", office worker Hou Zhonghe said after completing his rock-climbing task.
The event also attracted dozens of foreigners living in the city. Daisy Numia from Samoa, who is studying at Donghua University, said she was very excited to attend the challenge with her teammates from other countries.
"I'm happy we are among the first to be part of this," she said.
A long-distance race to spread the Olympic spirit was held in Beijing on the same day.
The 5-kilometer run, tracking around the Beijing Olymic Park and the Beijing Olympic Forest Park, was attended by more than 10,000 people.
Long races with the same theme were held in another 11 cities such as Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenyang and Xiamen on Sunday.
tangzhe@chinadaily.com.cn
- 'Taken 2' grabs movie box office crown
- Rihanna's 'Diamonds' tops UK pop chart
- Fans get look at vintage Rolling Stones
- Celebrities attend Power of Women event
- Ang Lee breaks 'every rule' to make unlikely new Life of Pi film
- Rihanna almost thrown out of nightclub
- 'Dark Knight' wins weekend box office
- 'Total Recall' stars gather in Beverly Hills
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Supplies pour into isolated villages |
All-out efforts to save lives |
American abroad |
Industry savior: Big boys' toys |
New commissioner
|
Liaoning: China's oceangoing giant |
Today's Top News
Health new priority for quake zone
Xi meets US top military officer
Japan's boats driven out of Diaoyu
China mulls online shopping legislation
Bird flu death toll rises to 22
Putin appoints new ambassador to China
Japanese ships blocked from Diaoyu Islands
Inspired by Guan, more Chinese pick up golf
US Weekly
Beyond Yao
|
Money power |