Sports in China
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Known as the land of martial arts, Sport in China today refers to the variety of competitive sports played in China, including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Traditional Chinese culture regards physical fitness as an important aspect, and, since the 20th century, a large number of sports activities, both Western and traditionally Chinese, are popular in China. The People's Republic of China is one of the best-performing countries in the Summer Olympics held every four years and excels in many areas, such as Table Tennis, Badminton, Diving and Gymnastics. Basketball is the most popular sport in china today: some expert estimates that as many as 300 million of China's 1.3 billion population now play basketball.[citation needed] Baseball, football and some others are becoming increasingly popular in China, especially in more westernized, urban areas. Traditional physical activities like Tai Ji Chuan and Qigong remains a part of every-day life for many people, especially the elderly.
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[edit] History
Competitive sports date back to the early Zhou Dynasty, with Kings granting an audience to wrestlers or martial artists. Hunting, requiring both archery and equestrian skills, is a common leisure activity for the Imperial family and the rich, while the poorer people generally practised simple sports. Dragon boat racing dates back about 2500 years ago and remains a traditional event held around China every year. There is evidence that a similar sport to Football was played in China around 1000 AD, leading some modern historians to suggest that Football in fact originates in China. From the Song Dynasty on Tai Chi Chuan and similar qigong martial arts activities became popular in China.
The influx of modern sports appeared in China since the beginning of the 20th Century. The People's Republic of China has emphasized on sports and the government funds and trains young talented players into professional players, especially in the mid-20th century. Table tennis is one of the biggest amateur recreational sports in China today, with an estimated 200 million players. Badminton is a also well established and quite popular in China.
According to CCTV Sports Channel, the the gold-medal women's volleyball game of the 2004 Olympics drew 30% of TV-owning households; China vs. Brazil in the 2002 World Cup drew 18% of TV-owning households. Basketball and soccer are also shown on TV.
In Taiwan, baseball has gained increasing attention. Popular amateur sports include table tennis, badminton, martial arts and various forms of pool. China's professional sports are in its developmental stages.
[edit] Types of sports
[edit] Badminton
Because of its relative simplicity, inexpensive equipment, and accessibility to venues, Badminton is a very established and popular sport in China. Famous Chinese badminton players include Lin Dan, Cheng Shao-Chieh, Zhang Ning, Gao Ling, Huang Sui and Tsai Chia-Hsin. It is a popular recreational sport and amateur leagues exist across the country.
[edit] Baseball
Baseball in China first appeared in 1863, with the first recorded game taking place between the St. Johns University and the Shanghai YMCA baseball club in 1905. However, in 1959 Mao Zedong disbanded all teams and outlawed baseball.[1] After the Cultural Revolution ended, baseball activities restarted, and the China Baseball Association formed in 1974.[2] In 2002, the China Baseball League was formed, and China participated in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. However, it is not a popular sport and it is often seen by Chinese as a mere American curiosity due to its slow pace. Defeats of the national team to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea may help change the trend as Chinese become more aware of the game's internationalization.
[edit] Basketball
Basketball is the most popular sport in China. China is the third oldest country that plays basketball after USA and Canada. Since the arrival of Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming in the NBA in 2002, the game has grown considerably in the world's most populated country. Some experts estimate as many as 300 million of China's 1.3 billion population now play basketball. The first professional team in China was a team that started in Shenyang and was sponsored by the Anshan Steel Company. The Chinese Basketball Association was established in 1995 and in 2004 it expanded to 12 teams.
[edit] Cricket
Recently the Asian Cricket Council has been funding the growth of cricket in China. Coaching support is being provided by coaches from cricketing superpowers such as Australia and India. There are currently around 2,500 registered players, with the aim to have 150,000 by 2020 so the sport can receive Chinese state funding. As with baseball, however, cricket is a niche game.
[edit] Dragon boat racing
- See Dragon boat racing.
A Dragon boat is a very long and narrow human powered boat used in the team paddling sport of Dragon boat racing, which may also be known as Dragonboating.
[edit] Football
Football has been one of the most well supported sports in China ever since it was introduced in the 1900s. There is, in fact, written evidence that a game similar to soccer was first played in China around 50 BC [3]. The current Chinese Football Association was founded in the People's Republic of China after 1949. Its headquarters is located in Beijing, and the current chairman is Xie Yalong. From 1994 to 2004, CFA established first professional football league, which was "Jia A". The Chinese Super League is the premier football league in China, which was changed from "jia A" in 2004, as the top of a league hierarchy that extends to four leagues.
The women's national team has finished second at both the World Championships and the Olympic Games, whereas the men's national team qualified to the Football World Cup in 2002. Despite the Chinese women's success at international competitions, however, Women's soccer in China does not receive nearly as much attention as their counterparts in Canada and the United States, therefore China's good trend in Women's soccer may well come to an end in the near future. In 1990, China host the first Women's World Cup in Guangzhou, and host AFC Asian Cup in 2004.
In 2004, FIFA officially acknowledged China as the birthplace of football, when the game of cuju was played over 2,000 years ago.
[edit] Golf
Golf tournaments in China include the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, TCL Classic in Sanya on Hainan island, the Volvo China Open and the BMW Asian Open, played in the PRC after 2004. The most successful Chinese golfer has been Zhang Lian-Wei. The Mission Hills Golf Club golf course at Guanlan in Shenzhen is said to be the world's largest.
At the amateur level, Golf is seen as the top recreational sport for businesspeople and officials. Because of their relatively high position in Chinese society, they are usually the only people with access to the sport of Golf on mainland China. At the 2007 National People's Congress, caving in to the popular acknowledgment that the building of new golf courses is not only a waste of public funds but an illegal use of space, Premier Wen Jiabao said in his Work Report to the Congress that contracts in building new golf courses should be highly discouraged.
[edit] Grand Prix
The Chinese Grand Prix is a Formula 1 event held at the Shanghai International Circuit. See 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, 2005 Chinese Grand Prix and 2006 Chinese Grand Prix.
[edit] Ice hockey
The Chinese national women's ice hockey team is controlled by the Chinese Ice Hockey Association, and highly ranked in world competition. Men's hockey, in comparison, is somewhat lacking. Semi-professional teams have sprung up in Shenyang and Harbin.
[edit] Table tennis
Ping Pang Qiu (乒乓球) is the official name for the sport of table tennis in China. Apart from the national representative team, the table tennis community in China continues to produce many world-class players, and this depth of skill allows the country to continue dominating recent world titles after a short break during the 1990s. The overwhelming dominance of China in the sport has triggered a series of rules changes in the International Table Tennis Federation and as part of the Olympics. Wang Liqin is currently one of the highest-ranked Chinese table tennis players, and the highest-ranked player in the world. Deng Yaping is regarded by many as one of the greatest table tennis player of all time. The sport played an important role in China's international relations; in April 1972, the US table tennis team were invited to visit China, an event later called "Ping Pong Diplomacy". Table tennis is one of the biggest amateur recreational sports in China today, with an estimated 200 million players.
