Stellar Olympic performances spark craze for emerging sports(4)

Urban active

With the inclusion of new sports in international galas, the rise of Chinese sports stars in these disciplines, and the government's efforts to build China into a global sports powerhouse, the new sports are attracting a growing population of enthusiasts across various cities in China.

In Chengdu alone, there are over 500 street dance clubs and training centers, with a community of more than 200,000 street dance enthusiasts, according to the Chengdu Street Dance Association.

A report by the Chinese Mountaineering Association revealed that the number of sport climbing enthusiasts in the country surged from around 10,000 in 2012 to over 500,000 by the end of 2023. Additionally, there were 636 commercial climbing gyms operating across the Chinese mainland, a figure surpassing that of the United States for the first time.

Fan Yi, a 46-year-old sport climbing enthusiast from Changsha, Hunan province, has observed a rapid growth in the sport climbing scene in the city in recent years.

"More climbing gyms have opened up, attracting many families to experience the sport, and talented children can often be spotted," Fan said.

Fan started climbing in 2011, later turning it into a beloved hobby.

He now frequents local climbing gyms two to three times a week for training.

"After hitting 40, my body may not be what it used to be, but my love for rock climbing hasn't faded one bit. I actually treasure and enjoy the climbing experience even more now," Fan shared.

He believes that sport climbing, which needs skills, patience, resilience and strength in small muscles, is a sport that people of varied ages can enjoy.

For Zhou Ping, the founder of Amazing Elephant, a Shanghai-based sports company focused on cultivating BMX bike riders, biking has tremendous potential to become a long-term hobby for a wider population in China.

In 2020, as a cycling lover himself, he decided to launch the company and build several BMX bike training facilities in Shanghai.

"I began mountain biking as a hobby in adulthood and soon realized that for enthusiasts like myself, it's easy to get injured when your courage surpasses your skills," he explained.

"My goal is to assemble professional riders to provide systematic and scientific training for the next generation, ensuring that children do not face the same challenges I experienced."

He observed that after Deng Yawen won China's first-ever Olympic BMX freestyle gold medal at Paris 2024, more and more parents have shown interest in the sport.

"The victory has raised awareness about this sport among the public," he noted.

The Amazing Elephant, which has six training centers across Shanghai, has attracted over 1,500 active BMX learners, with the majority being concentrated in the preschool and elementary school stages.

On its part, the Shanghai Sports Bureau is promoting new sports by involving almost 8,000 community sports instructors in experiential activities for sports such as BMX biking, skateboarding, and sport climbing.

Around the time of the 16th National Fitness Day on August 8, the Shanghai Extreme Sports Association organized 36 experiential events for extreme sports in the city's shopping centers, outdoor squares and communities, said Bao Tingting from the association.

Zhang Xin, a former fitness trainer who started skateboarding in 2019, is among the community sports instructors.

He has witnessed the upgrading and expansion of skateboarding facilities in Shanghai in recent years and actively participates in experiential events to bring the fun of skateboarding to a larger group of people.

He has also found new career opportunities in this hobby.

In May, he opened a small skateboard shop in a local community with a pump track and some street skateboarding props. He now has around 50 young students.

Zhang also feels refreshed by this new business. "Back when I was a fitness trainer, most of my classes were one-on-one, and it just felt like a job to me. But now, hosting classes for these young riders feels like being a parent of a big family," he explained.

"And when they win awards in competitions, I am overwhelmed with pride."