China combines education with sports for comprehensive development of youngsters

Editor's note: China will hold its annual "Two Sessions" in early March. Ahead of this year's key annual political meetings, CGTN presents "A look at China during the Two Sessions," a special series that takes an in-depth look at the country's endeavors in promoting people's livelihood, rural revitalization, economic development, sci-tech innovation and opening up.

China has been making fast and remarkable progress in promoting comprehensive development of the young generation by combing education with sports since the policy was presented in 2020.

China held the inaugural Student (Youth) Games in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in November 2023. Over 20,000 athletes from all over the country participated in 805 events, displaying excellent spirit and energy of the youngsters.

As a combination of the Student and Youth Games, this tournament marked a milestone of the implementation of combining education with sports with its launch, China's Ministry of Education told Xinhua News Agency. The ministry cooperated with the General Administration of Sports and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) to hold the Games.

Sports fields make a great extension of classrooms by helping the youths learn to follow rules, teamwork, and spare no efforts with resilience, the Ministry of Education told Xinhua. The Games was an important platform to test the implementation of the policy of combining education with sports. The progress cold be seen in the excellent performances by the young athletes at the Games.

Teenagers are the hope of China and the Chinese nation, promoting their health is an integral part of building a strong sports power and a healthy country of China, according to the General Administration of Sports. Li Hui of the Administration believes that combining education with sports meets the requirements of the times, the society and the necessity of youth development. The implementation of this policy follows the objective rules of sports and education. It will lead to solutions to major problems and difficulties in sports development of teenagers.

"We achieved remarkable progress in combining education with sports in the past three years," Li said in December 2023. "It has become a common understanding in the circles of sports. Education, students, parents and the society that education should be combined with sports."

Li pointed out that after three years of efforts, "health comes first" has become the concept of education for more and more people and households. The market and industry of providing sports training and practice sessions have been growing rapidly while more teenagers are involved in various sports.

Li is convinced that the superb trend of sports development of teenagers will continue to grow in 2024. China will achieve more success and new aspects in combining education with sports.