Reliving your memories sometimes can be like watching a film, with moments of nostalgia flashing back like waves, whether the moments happened last year or even 10 years ago.

Exactly 10 years and exactly in this city of Beijing, we shared one of the greatest moments in the global community – the 2008 Olympic Games. It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed and we still cherish all the moments of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And thanks to sports, to the great spirit of sports, we had this global celebration. 

For the past 10 years, I have been asked, and also have asked myself, what is the greatest legacy of Beijing 2008? There are so many answers – the sustainable growth of China as a nation, the friendly gesture of modern China to the whole world, the upgrade of Beijing’s civic facilities. But if I can only give one answer, I would say it's the impact that sports has brought to this city, this country and beyond. 

Sports has become a way of life, a part of a healthy lifestyle and an indicator of coolness in China.

I could easily find loads of statistics to back up my claim – from the participation rate of sports in China, the sports facilities in both the cities and countryside, the achievements of Chinese athletes in international competitions – the past 10 years has been a golden era for sports in China. 

We could even confidently claim, that China has adopted sport as a key future cause for our society, with policies issued from the central government, and more and more governmental or market investments into this line of life.

Fundamentally, the progress of sports itself, is the greatest legacy of the Olympics in China.

It is not an easy task to achieve. Sports has never enjoyed such popularity as it does today in China. Mainstream traditional philosophy in China, Confucianism, has never encouraged sports, but has rather focused on order and discipline. 

The Olympics should not be treated like a cure-all dose of magic for a perpetual non-sporty society. The drive behind the Beijing Olympics 2008, is the idea that we must embrace sports, we must encourage our kids to participate more often in sports, and we must create more facilities for ordinary people to enjoy sports. 

Beijing 2008 is a key starting point for China to show our determination, and we delivered it in the most fantastic way, in presenting the world with a splendid celebration of athletics. 

More is coming, not just to promote sports in China, but globally. The 2022 Winter Olympics will be another golden opportunity, and China would surely present it creatively. Sports are a celebration of mankind and Beijing 2008, is a proud moment in our lives.