Students slide into winter sports lessons

A coach instructs children to learn ice skating in the Taoranting Park in Beijing on Sunday. Wang Xibao / for China Daily

High school student Wang Zihan has spent almost every weekend at resorts around Beijing's suburbs since learning to ski in early January.

Still, the four-hour weekly session is not enough to feed the 15-year-old's growing passion for the winter sport, which has gained increasing popularity among youth after Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

To meet the teenagers' growing demand for winter sports participation, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education plans to introduce skating and skiing lessons to physical education curricula at primary and secondary schools starting from the spring semester.

"It's definitely good news," said Wang, a student from Shijingshan Affiliated School of Beijing Institute of Education. "I'm sure a lot of my schoolmates will be more interested in taking outdoor PE classes in winter than they used to be."

The Beijing education commission has been working with a group of experts to compile information on winter sports, theoretical fundamentals and Winter Olympics, while purchasing services and training sessions for students at commercial rinks and ski resorts, according to Huang Kan, a senior member of the commission.

"Students will take theory lessons given by college lecturers, coaches and retired athletes before going to selected rinks and resorts to practice as an extension of extracurricular activities," Huang said.

Beijing's northwestern mountainous Yanqing county, where the alpine skiing events of 2022 are proposed to be held, has stepped forward by offering skiing courses at two major resorts on a regular basis for students at seven schools.

"As one of the venues in Beijing's bid plan, Yanqing has the advantages of natural terrain and accessible facilities, so we are planning to have at least 10,000 students master skiing skills by 2022," said Zheng Shiyong, deputy director of the county education commission.

According to the State Administrative Center of Winter Sports, there are 10 ski resorts and more than 15 rinks operated by private investors and governments in Beijing. Many have been selected as winter sports training bases for students.

Qiaobo Ice and Snow World hosted the inaugural Beijing Students Skiing Festival at its 40,000-square-meter indoor facility in December in partnership with the Sports Association of Beijing Primary and Secondary Schools.

The facility is named after the 1992 Winter Olympic 500m and 1,000m speedskating silver-medalist Ye Qiaobo.

More than 400 students from 10 schools participated in the event and more are expected at the 2015 event, according to Zhao Ying, vice-chairman of the association.

"With winter sports education planning to involve more students on campus, we will organize more skiing and skating activities this year, and reach out to more rinks and resorts for cooperation to cater to the growing demand," said Zhao.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn