Sports events lift spirits in Shandong city

The 2023 11th Asian Youth Baseball Championship (U15 group) recently wound up in style in the Lin'gang district of Weihai city, located in East China's Shandong province.

A player squares up to hit the ball at the 2023 11th Asian Youth Baseball Championship (U15 group). [Photo by Yang Yan for chinadaily.com.cn]

The event is said to reflect the rapid growth of sports in the district.

Agreements were signed with South Korea in the field of baseball to increase the number of baseball exchanges between domestic and international communities. Additionally, Canada's Stanley Cup Youth Hockey Invitational has also been held in the district, which is said to be a testament to its increasing significance in the national sports arena.

What's more, the Lin'gang district has invested more in sports facilities, including artificial turf soccer fields, tennis courts, synthetic lighted basketball courts, baseball fields and more, to meet the diverse sports needs of its residents.

All the efforts have driven growth in the local sports industry, attracting thousands of athletes to participate in training, competitions and summer camps every year. This has generated over 20 million yuan ($2.75 million) in revenue to date for the local service industry, officials said.

Moving forwards, plans are for the Lin'gang district to transform itself into an emerging venue with a wide array of sports events, deepen the integration of sports and tourism and exploit its rich potential to attract more sports tourists and investments at home and abroad. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)