popular sports in china
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popular sports in china
China sport is one the strongest sports hub in Asia in term of the number of athletes, sports facilities infrastructure and organizing multi sport games such as Olympic Games and Asian Games.
Beiing City is the only city in the world organized Summer Olympic Games in 2008 and will host Winter Olympic Games in 2022.
China has been in sport since the ancient times and is the birthplace of the most popular martial art sport such as wushu, kongfu, taichi and other martial arts sports that are popular around the world.
With evidence more than 1000 years old, football was played in ancient China.
Badminton, table tennis, diving and gymnastics are the most popular sports in China.
Sport is a massive business and an immensely popular form of entertainment in the world’s most populous country. From the traditional martial arts, through table tennis and badminton, to soccer and the enormously popular basketball – the Chinese are eager to participate in and follow tens of different disciplines. Let’s take a closer look at the most successful ones!
Basketball
Basketball is currently the most popular sports discipline in China, and according to some analysts, has already become part of the Chinese culture. This is seen mainly in the outstanding popularity of the world’s top league, the NBA, in the Middle Kingdom.
Hoops are a massive business in China and the NBA fan base is constantly boosting there.
The craze has grown incredibly strong at the beginning of the century, in large part thanks to the Chinese player Yao Ming becoming a hall of fame player in the NBA. China has also hosted tens of the NBA’s Global Games, which are played to promote the sport outside of North America.
Apart from following the NBA, the Chinese have their own competition called the CBA, Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The CBA was launched in 1995 and is currently contested by 19 teams playing in two divisions.
Table tennis
After work, after school, at work, or at school, weekends, or weekdays, you can’t escape the sound of a little white plastic ball bouncing back and forth on a wood table when in China. Ping Pong is by far the most popular sport and has been for a long time. It doesn’t take up much space and can be played indoors – perfect for a place where space is limited.
It’s very common to see businessmen playing at lunch, school kids playing after school or during break times, and people playing on beaten up tables in neighborhoods. But the importance of ping pong doesn’t stop with recreation. It has actually played an important role in international diplomacy. On high level visits, the Chinese president will often play a game with foreign leaders – much like golf is used in the West. The act has even been termed “Ping Pong Diplomacy”.
When it comes to Olympic sports, nobody beats China in ping pong. In fact, China has won more medals in ping pong than any other country and furthermore, no country has dominated any sport in the Olympics like China has in table tennis. China’s dominance in Badminton is not far behind.
Badminton
Badminton is another national sport of China.
At an amateur level, badminton is like ping pong. It’s a highly accessible sport – all you need is a racket and shuttlecock.
I’ve seen people in China – and joined in myself – play badminton without a net. They simply hit the shuttlecock to each other as a way of participating and having fun.
For elite badminton players, the Chinese government takes care of everything including housing, meals and training. This helps the country dominate the sport.
Possibly the greatest badminton player of all time, Lin Dan completed the Super Grand Slam by the age of 28. He won all of the nine major badminton tournaments available, including the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cup.
He remains the only player, male or female, to achieve this feat.
popular sports in china
Volleyball
Volleyball is one of the most popular sports in China. The sport has an ancient history and the popularity of the game is so much that it is played by almost all people. The game can be played in a field or indoors and both men and women can play. It is played using a net, which is used to pass a ball across the net between two teams. The ball is hit by hand, with or without a racket, against the wall or other players.
In the past, the Chinese used to play volleyball indoors and outdoors, but now they are playing the game on indoor courts. The Chinese have developed a very good technique in volleyball and now, they are playing their best. They have also made great improvements in the rules of the game. Now, the Chinese are playing with a lot of enthusiasm and determination.
Running has now become the most important sport for Chinese recreational athletes. 44 percent of sports-playing Chinese count running among their main activities.
“In 2016, there were over one million marathon runners in China,” says China expert Martin Kössler. He accompanies sports and outdoor firms in their market entrance in China, among other things.
There is a high number of official competitive races held within the country that rivals the numbers in countires like the United States or Japan. Many cities in China are now hosting regular and annual races or marathons.
Moreover, there have been more than 100 marathon runs in China in the past year. From the perspective of sports companies, runners in China are an especially interesting target group, Kössler says. The runners are substantially younger than those in Europe, and they spend more money on their hobby. The main group of running Chinese are between 36 and 45 years old, followed by the 25 and 35 year olds.
Another interesting aspect: Running is making fitness studios popular again. Studios are appearing in major cities that are specialized in the needs of runners. Chinese recreational athletes are also just as happy to spend their money on running shoes, clothing, and accessories.
Martial Arts
martial arts is one of the most popular sports in China. For those who are unfamiliar, Martial Arts (specifically Judo, Karate, and Taekwondo) are Olympic games. In Asia, martial arts have a rich history, and most Westerners equate the term “Kung Fu” with China. This is right, and Karate (a Japanese martial art) is based on Kung Fu. In the West, the word “Kung Fu” is commonly mistaken as a general term for all martial arts.
In reality, Kung Fu encompasses a wide range of structures and forms, so it’s best to think of it as a diverse umbrella word rather than a single collection of activities. This is one of the sports in China that is more common with those who participate in it rather than those who watch it on TV. Furthermore, many Chinese boys practice basic Kung Fu as children, resulting in widespread acquaintance with the sport across the region.
Billiards/Pool
Square dancing
Is square dancing a sport?
Well, although it’s not competitive, it’s a good form of exercise and it’s immensely popular in China. And that has to count for something.
You’ll see mostly middle-aged and older women dancing to choreographed routines in public parks all over the country. If the weather is good, the dancing goes late into the night.
The name ‘square dancing’ is not named because of the dance moves. It’s because the dancing happens in a city square or plaza.
Dancing in public parks became a low-cost form of exercise and entertainment for many women who lost their jobs at state-owned enterprises in the 1990s.
It’s remained popular ever since because anyone can join in, and it’s a good way to socialize and make friends.
Also, square dancing is a sport that requires memory. This appeals to the locals who have to memorize thousands of Chinese characters throughout their school years.
If you ever make it to China, make sure you walk through one of the city parks. You’re bound to see some square dancing in action.
Fun fact: ‘Dancing grannies’ have been deemed a nuisance in some Chinese cities and many groups now have to use headphones instead of blaringly loud speakers.
Bright future of winter sports in China
It’s not a secret that 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing will boost the interest in winter sports, and provide a golden opportunity to slightly interested people into long-term winter sports participants and consumers. Winter sport facilities across the country were occupied by visitors over the New Year break, both in the north and in the south of the country.
The annual ski industry report said that at the end of 2016 China had 646 ski resorts in operation and 11.3 million people who ski at least once a year. Chinese government plans to build 650 skating rinks and 800 ski resorts by 2022, as the foundation for 300 million people to get involved in winter sports to generate industry value of 1 trillion yuan by 2025.
People in Beijing, Jilin and Heilongjiang are getting familiar with ice hockey, as these regions have professional teams. As one of the main sports in Winter Olympics, hockey has never been popular in China, but during upcoming Olympic games, Chinese do not want to fail; that is why a decision to develop this sport a new generation of players has been made.
Golf
Golf tournaments in China include the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, TCL Classic in Sanya on Hainan island, the Volvo China Open and the BMW Asian Open, played in the PRC after 2004. The most successful Chinese golfer has been Zhang Lian-Wei. The Mission Hills Golf Club golf course at Guanlan in Shenzhen is said to be the world’s largest.
At the amateur level, Golf is seen as the top recreational sport for businesspeople and officials. Because of their relatively high position in Chinese society, they are usually the only people with access to the sport of Golf on mainland China. At the 2007 National People’s Congress, caving in to the popular acknowledgment that the building of new golf courses is not only a waste of public funds but an illegal use of space, Premier Wen Jiabao said in his Work Report to the Congress that contracts in building new golf courses should be highly discouraged.
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