Popular Sports & Games in China
With international sports medals a top priority, Chinese athletes train hard to compete with the best. And casual sports participation has increased greatly. In 2000, the country boasted 620,000 gymnasiums and stadiums. China has also hosted special sports lotteries that raised money to build more than 1,000 new public health facilities. In addition to well-known Olympic sports such as gymnastics and diving, the Chinese also enjoy a range of popular team sports and games.
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Table Tennis
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An Olympic event since 1988, table tennis is a fast-paced skill game beloved by many Chinese athletes. Also known as ping pong, the rules and scoring are based on those of tennis. With over 40 million players competing worldwide, table tennis has become the world’s largest participation sport. Wang Hao brought home the gold medal in men’s singles table tennis during the Beijing Olympics. In China, the sport’s governing body is the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA).
Badminton
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The world’s fastest racket sport (according to the Chinese Olympic Committee), badminton is played with rackets, a net and a shuttlecock with a scoring system based on that of tennis. Since its debut at the Olympics in 1992, badminton has been dominated by Asian athletes. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Chinese men and women swept the gold medals for singles play, and the women also brought home the gold for doubles. In China, the sport’s governing body is the Chinese Badminton Association (CBA).
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Basketball
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Thanks to the huge popularity of Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, this American game continues to make a splash in China. The country has its own 18-team professional league, the Chinese Basketball Association. One of its teams--the Shanghai Sharks--is owned by Yao Ming himself. Although the league has experienced its share of financial difficulties during expansion and setup, it has garnered enough attention to lure several NBA players to the Chinese league and given the Chinese reason to set their sights on future Olympic gold medals in basketball.
Soccer
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Soccer is a favorite among the Chinese, both to watch and to play. Local leagues have sprung up since the late 1990s, the largest of which is the Huilongguan Super League. In 2004, nine teams competed for this league’s title. China’s professional soccer league was founded in 1994, with big-name sponsors such as Samsung and Hyundai. Although the men’s national team failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup with a world ranking of 93, the women’s team fared much better, ranking 13th. Overall, the women’s team’s best finish remains the fourth-place finish in the 1995 World Cup.
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