The 15th National Games: Shaping China's sports landscape for all

The 15th National Games, as the largest and most prestigious multi-sport event in China, serves as a significant platform not only for showcasing China's competitive sports strength but also for advancing the nation's commitment to public sports and fitness for all. 

Since the introduction of mass participation events at the 2017 Tianjin National Games, the theme of "National Games for the People, Healthy China" has been continuously deepened. The range of mass sporting activities has grown, with participation thresholds lowered and coverage expanded. 

Through initiatives such as the "I Want to Participate in the National Games" selection series and hybrid online-offline event organization, more sports enthusiasts have had the opportunity to take part in the National Games, leading to a deep integration of major sporting events and public participation.

The National Games competition categories consistently align with Olympic trends and developments in sports. The inclusion of emerging Olympic events such as rock climbing, skateboarding, and breakdancing has provided a platform for these sports to develop and grow in China. At the same time, adjustments in rules for traditional and core events have further facilitated talent identification and development. This dynamic adjustment mechanism ensures that the National Games remain relevant and vibrant, keeping pace with the times while nurturing a diverse talent pool.

As a key stage for discovering and developing young athletes, the National Games continues to break new ground in competition formats. Measures such as joint teams, cross-region exchanges, and inter-organizational cooperation have helped eliminate regional barriers, optimize resource allocation, and promote the development of elite athletes. Increasingly, young athletes from the National Games are making their mark on the national and international stages, further solidifying the event as an essential part of China's sports ecosystem.

Recognizing the vital role of sports in improving people's health and forestalling diseases, the Chinese authorities have been working to foster the integration of fitness and health.

An outline for "Healthy China 2030" issued in 2016 highlights the integration of sports and medicine, calling for fully utilizing scientific physical exercise in health promotion, chronic disease prevention and rehabilitation. It also advocates promoting sports and health services across the entire life cycle.

More than 400 million people in China are now engaged in outdoor sports, according to a report released by the Economic Department of the General Administration of Sport of China.

In the meantime, the prestigious National Games brand has attracted substantial social capital, leading to increased investment in the sports industry. This has fostered the growth of sectors such as competitive performance, fitness and leisure, venue services, and sports training. The sports goods manufacturing sector, in particular, has seized the opportunity to boost research and development, improve product quality, and meet the diverse and personalized demands of consumers. 

The integration of sports with industries like culture and tourism, health, education, and the internet has also deepened, giving rise to new business models and trends. Over the past five years, the sports industry in China has maintained rapid growth, steadily increasing its share of the country's GDP, with the National Games making a significant contribution to this expansion.

By the end of 2024, China had 2,678 ice and snow sports venues nationwide, including 1,764 skating venues (65.87 percent) and 914 ski venues (34.13 percent). The country also had about 171,800 fitness trails with a total length of 407,600 kilometers, according to the report.

With 4.59 million sports venues and 4.07 billion square meters of sports facilities nationwide, China's per capita sports space has tripled in the past two decades, from just 1.03 square meters in 2003 to three square meters per person by the end of last year, according to official data.

The impact of the National Games extends beyond the competition venues. After the National Games, the sports facilities are opened to the public, becoming key centers for promoting public fitness. The National Games have also spurred the construction of new fitness facilities nationwide. By the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan, nearly 2,000 sports parks and over 20,000 kilometers of fitness pathways had been built. 

These initiatives have effectively addressed the challenge of "where to go for fitness." The National Games have also inspired a nationwide wave of fitness activities, with mass sports events becoming more organized and accessible, helping to improve the overall health literacy of the public. The scientific fitness concepts promoted through the National Games, alongside an expanding team of fitness instructors, have made fitness guidance and personalized workout plans more widely available to people of all ages and backgrounds.