By CGTN’S Jiang Mengxi and Mike Fox
Curling is not a particularly common sport, even in many northern countries, but it does have a long and rich history. Its roots can be traced back to 16th century Scotland, where the first reference to a game involving sliding stones on ice appears in records dating back to 1541.
However, in China it is still largely unknown, something that the authorities hope to change as the country looks ahead to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
The World Women's Curling Championship is now in full swing in Beijing, and while the worlds’ top female curlers show China's capital what they can do, plans are getting set in stone to grow the sport to the next level.
Chinese fans support Team China during the World Women’s Curling Championship in Beijing. /CFP Photo
"I think the fan base is important to develop the sport. Canada can form four of five teams at the top level,” said curling fan Xie Ziyin. “There they play on a club basis, and some amateurs are also good at curling. It needs participation from ordinary people."
Team USA has been on the ice for a long time. Some of the Chinese curlers may have gained their interest through a more passive love for the game, but for these girls it’s in their blood.
“I started to play at ten years old,” USA curler Aileen Geving says. “Basically my dad forced me to play curling, and I just started loving the game”.
The USA beat China 7-5 in the round-robin match at the World Women’s Curling Championship in Beijing on March 21, 2017. /CFP Photo
2022 may seem a long way away, but China's winter sports fans hope it will be the catalyst for a peak in popularity, something that always occurs around the time of the Olympics.
If China wants to really spur on excitement for curling around the country, its national teams will need to vastly improve their performances. At the ongoing Women’s World Championships in Beijing, Team China is currently languishing in 11th out of 12th place despite having a home advantage, having already lost seven out of nine games.
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