A true champion behind China's drive for building a sporting powerhouse
BUILDING A SPORTS POWERHOUSE
As a firm promoter of national fitness, Xi has advocated sports as an important means for improving people's health, meeting people's aspirations for a better life and facilitating all-around human development.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Chinese people's enthusiasm for sporting exercises has been on a rise, along with the elevation of the Fitness-for-All Five-Year Plans into a national strategy.
These measures in promoting mass sports are excellent manifestation toward Xi's remarks -- "The foundation of building a sporting powerhouse lies in mass sports."
Outside a public fitness sports center located in Yan'an, a former revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Wu Yan is leading a team to perform yangko, a folk-style Chinese dance.
At the end of August, two teams guided by Wu won top and third prizes in the square dance event in mass program of the 14th National Games, which is billed as China's "mini Olympics".
"During the revolutionary period, the yangko and waist drum were promoted to the whole country from Yan'an. Now fitness waist drum and yangko created by us have brought people the health," said Wu.
As reflected in the 14th edition's theme "Games for all, together in mind and action", the National Games not only witnesses elite athletes contending for glory, but also sets a stage for ordinary people to showcase their athletic skills and enthusiasm.
In a bold move to reform the National Games, the 13th edition in Tianjin four years ago opened its doors to amateur competitors, as some 8,000 non-professional competitors from all over China, and even from abroad, got a chance to shine on the national sporting stage. And a total of 185 events across 19 sports in mass program are included for the 14th National Games.
