Companies in the sports industry need to strengthen their risk control measures and management capabilities in an effort to minimize the threats of future global outbreaks, Professor Li Xiangru at China's Capital University of Physical Education, told CGTN in an exclusive interview.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the sports industry, especially the effects on sports services are catastrophic and far beyond expectation. However, there are some silver lining in leisure sports, which is Prof. Li's research field. 

"There are also certain leisure sports that are less likely affected by the pandemic, for example, personal short-distance mountain climbing, and individual recreational vehicle camping," said Li, who is also the president of the World Leisure Sports Association and a guest speaker of the forum at the 2020 World Winter Sports Expo.

"In China, the Spring Festival used to be one of the most popular periods for the family to enjoy leisure sports, such as mountain climbing, traveling, and family carnival. Amid the unfavorable pandemic, however, people can only have restricted sports," he added.

"Limited outdoor and indoor sports plus restrained off-line and online sports services have led to decreased leisure sports consumption in terms of personal capability and volume."

Good time to promote mass fitness projects

"The pandemic is not a normal state," Li said.

"People have a growing awareness on health and sports during the pandemic. Therefore, it is a good opportunity to promote the mass population's fitness project in the post-pandemic era," Li suggested.

Speaking of fitness videos via online channels, the professor praised the use of technology in engaging people into exercises as much as possible.

He encouraged people to creatively open up a new situation for sports services, for instance, linking sports with online and off-line cultural and travel activities.

Risk control needed

The professor suggested the whole industry pay close attention to the polices of the government and guidelines of organizations on sports service.

"We need to understand the changes in national policies so that will not let sports services go wrong."

To minimize losses, sports companies can increase their risk control and management in facing future crisis. As the cornerstone of leisure sports, sports consumption sales can have a rebounding recovery when the whole industry fully resumes, he commented.

Growing sports industry in China

Along with China's growing economy, the country's sports industry has embraced rapid development and enlarged market as well.

"Different from competitive sports, leisure sports mainly focus on two parts: one is the government-led mass population's fitness project and the other is individuals' sports development plans," Li explained.

"People's sports consumption is mainly driven by fitness and leisure events. Various leisure sports have ranged from the road, sea and sky, such as marathon on the road, diving in the sea and gliding in the sky.

"In the city, leisure sports services can be found in sports training institutes, for example, yoga workshop, in order to develop healthy lifestyles.

"The variety of leisure sports sustain a long-term development in sports industry," Li commented.

"Fitness may be single dimensional, but leisure sports mean a larger world. As long as people find their favorite sports and take time to practice the skills, they will embrace the joy of sport physically and mentally."

View more leisure sports moments from the photo collection: