Yesterday (September 26), the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality held a press briefing. Shanghai Vice Mayor Xie Dong introduced the city’s achievements towards its ambition of developing itself into a world-known sports city. Xu Bin, director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, Wang Hao, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Yuan Yuan, deputy chief of Huangpu District, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters. 1. The progress of legal system construction in Shanghai on the journey towards becoming a world-known sports cityGeneral Secretary Xi Jinping has placed significant emphasis on the development of sports and has articulated a new understanding of sports in the contemporary era: “Sports serves as a crucial avenue for enhancing people’s health, a vital means to fulfill the public’s aspirations for a better life, and a catalyst for holistic personal development. Furthermore, it constitutes a pivotal force propelling economic and social progress, and it offers a crucial platform to exhibit a nation’s cultural soft power.” In September 2019, the General Office of the State Council unveiled the Outline for Building a Leading Sports Nation. On January 1 this year, the revised Sports Law of the People's Republic of China was officially implemented. Shanghai has consistently embraced the principle of “satisfying the people’s desires through sports” as the foundational guideline for the city’s sports development. In November 2020, Shanghai introduced the Outline for Developing Shanghai as a World-known Sports City, specifying aspirations to establish a globally renowned sports city by 2025, elevate its status further by 2035, and ultimately attain full recognition as a world-renowned sports city by 2050. This year, the Sports Development Regulations of Shanghai have been included in the legislative agenda. The proposed draft of these regulations has undergone review and approval during municipal government executive meetings and is set to be submitted for deliberation by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress. The enactment of these regulations will provide the legal framework for Shanghai’s pursuit of its world-class sports city status.2. Shanghai’s various indicators of building a world-known sports city continue to improveAligned with the objective of establishing a world-known sports city, Shanghai has centered its efforts on the goal of “demonstrating the city’s comprehensive soft power and creating the city’s premier calling card.” Across diverse domains such as national fitness, youth sports, competitive athletics, and the sports industry, a discernible and consistent upward trajectory in development is evident.On national fitness: Shanghai has long laid a solid foundation for its sports endeavors. In 2012, the city inaugurated the first of its quadrennial Citizens’ Games, synchronizing them with the Olympic Games to foster an “Olympic experience for all.” The forthcoming year will mark the fourth Citizens’ Games in Shanghai. During the intervening three years between the two events, the City Amateur League is held annually, attracting an average participation of 11 million residents each year. These thrilling events have significantly propelled the expansion of sports organizations in Shanghai. Presently, Shanghai boasts 29.6 sports and fitness organizations per 10,000 residents, placing it among the nation’s frontrunners. Shanghai has consistently led in all four previous national physical fitness monitoring surveys.Mind sports enjoys a broad following in Shanghai. From October 25 to November 4 this year, the Shanghai delegation will embark on a journey to Hefei, Anhui to compete in the 5th National Mind Games. Our delegation is gearing up to dispatch 130 athletes and 24 dedicated coaches across all 58 events. We anticipate continuing our legacy of excellence, aiming for a dual triumph in both sporting achievement and the enrichment of our spiritual civilization. (The Shanghai delegation has secured the coveted top spot in the Mind Games’ gold medal count for four consecutive years.)Shanghai places paramount importance on the promotion of national fitness. In June of this year, the city endorsed the Implementation Opinions on Establishing an Enhanced National Fitness Public Service System. This document outlines both qualitative and quantitative objectives along with concrete measures for the near and medium-term advancement of Shanghai’s national fitness initiatives. Our unwavering commitment is to transform the vision of “fitness accessible everywhere, daily exercise for everyone, and universal knowledge of exercise” into reality.On youth sports: Currently, approximately 200,000 young individuals actively engage in a diverse array of sports activities annually within Shanghai. Remarkably, we have a roster of 48,176 registered teenage athletes. Over an extended period, Shanghai’s education and sports authorities have fostered a robust collaborative mechanism for public school sports and extracurricular youth sports, culminating in what is widely regarded as the “Shanghai Model” with seamless integration of sports and education. Our approach to youth sports in Shanghai is underpinned by two core objectives: firstly, promoting and encouraging young people to embrace sports, bolstering their physical fitness, nurturing their character, and fortifying their resilience. This year, the Shanghai Administration of Sports, in tandem with the Communist Youth League Shanghai Municipal Committee, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, and the Shanghai Women’s Federation, among others, delivered 29 projects and nearly 8,500 hours of sports training courses for programs like summer nurseries. We also entrusted sports-focused social organizations to oversee 57 projects, more than 3,000 youth sports summer camps, as well as initiatives like the Shanghai Municipal Youth Sports Club League, featuring 18 projects, and the Shanghai Municipal Children’s Sports League, comprising 55 projects. Additionally, we organized over 70 themed summer activities for the youth, ensuring that we provide a plethora of accessible sports events for young individuals. Notably, the recently concluded 2023 Head of Shanghai River Regatta introduced a youth exhibition competition for the first time. This event welcomed rowing teams from five prestigious middle schools, including Shanghai High School and Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy. The inclusion of these young participants allowed them to experience international competition standards firsthand, adding an element of fun and furthering their holistic development. Secondly, we are committed to the discovery and nurturing of competitive young sports talent. In addition to our traditional sports schools, we are fostering collaboration between regular educational institutions and community organizations to jointly facilitate the training and development of young sports talent. In the most recent selection for national high-level sports reserve talent bases, Shanghai received honorary recognition, with 40 training institutions earning prestigious titles. Currently, our urban two-tier “one-stop” sports talent training system covers 183 high schools and 83 social organizations. These training institutions have been collectively designated as "Shanghai Sports Reserve Talent Public Training Bases. Moving forward, the Shanghai Administration of Sports and the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission are committed to further refining our youth training management system. We aim to promote the seamless integration of sports and education, ultimately enhancing the efficiency of talent development.On competitive sports: Over the past seven decades, Shanghai has been instrumental in training 17 Olympic champions and 210 world champions, who have brought honor to our nation and added luster to their hometown. On September 23, the grand opening of the Asian Games Hangzhou took place. A remarkable contingent of 85 athletes, 21 coaches, and 3 support staff from Shanghai earned a place in the Chinese sports delegation. As of September 25, the Chinese team has secured an impressive tally of 39 gold medals, 21 silvers, and 9 bronzes at the Asian Games. Within this stellar performance, Shanghai’s athletes have contributed significantly, clinching 7 golds, 2 silvers, and 1 bronze. Outstanding athletes such as Zhang Ling, Chen Yunxia, Qin Haiyang, Tang Qianting, and many others have excelled on this grand stage. In forthcoming competitions, Shanghai’s athletes remain dedicated to making further contributions to the Chinese sports delegation. Moreover, next year, Shanghai is resolved to provide enhanced support to the national team as they prepare for the Paris Olympics. In the future, we will intensify efforts to promote the “integration of training, science, and medicine,” which entails harmonizing training, scientific research, and medical support. Our goal is to cultivate even more competitive sports talent for our nation and our city.On sports industry: Shanghai boasts a robust sports industry structure, with the sports service sector accounting for a significant 80%. Over the past two years, there has been remarkable growth in both the number of sports enterprises and major sports establishments in Shanghai. By the end of 2022, the city was home to nearly 35,000 sports enterprises, marking a remarkable increase from 15,000 a decade ago. This decade-long growth rate has exceeded an impressive 133%. This year, an official inclusion of sports within the city’s purview aims to further stimulate and expand consumption. Shanghai has thrown its support behind Xuhui District and Yangpu District in their endeavors to deepen the National Sports Consumption City pilot program. In addition, the city continues to implement a range of initiatives, including the “You Exercise, I Subsidy” sports consumption voucher distribution activity. In 2023, a total of 40 million yuan worth of sports consumption vouchers are planned for distribution. As of the end of August, more than 26 million yuan has already been distributed, with nearly 700 sports venues participating. Notably, Shanghai hosted its inaugural Shanghai Sports Consumption Festival this year, themed around “Shanghai Sports.” Running from April 22 to June 30, this event fostered synergies across business, tourism, culture, and sports. It harnessed the spillover effects of sports events, bolstering fields such as food, lodging, travel, tourism, shopping, entertainment, and more. These efforts have played a pivotal role in enhancing regional vitality.Furthermore, several significant sports facilities have been completed and are now open to the public. The Xujiahui Sports Park project is fully operational, and the Shanghai Velodrome in Chongming has been successfully completed and accepted. Within the year, we anticipate the Juss International Equestrian Center, China’s first standardized top-level equestrian event venue, to be essentially finalized. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, substantial sports facility construction has commenced, including Lingang Water Sports Center, Shanghai Sports Palace, and Fengxian X-Sports Park. These developments will provide citizens with new venues for fitness and contribute to the creation of new landmarks that promote a healthier Shanghai.3. Shanghai’s accelerated pace in pursuit of its world-known city status for sports events In the current year alone, Shanghai has hosted or is scheduled to host a total of 121 significant international and domestic events, with 19 slated for the month of October. During the National Day holiday period, fans can eagerly anticipate the consecutive commencement of two notable events: the ATP Maters 1000 Shanghai and the Shanghai Trophy 2023.Looking ahead to the coming year, Shanghai will once again play host to renowned international events such as the F1 Chinese Grand Prix and the Global Champions Tour in equestrian sport. Additionally, the city’s own signature brand events, including Shanghai International Marathon, Head of Shanghai River Regatta, Shanghai Sailing Open, Future Star Series, and the MAGIC3 Youth 3-on-3 Basketball Games, will continue to captivate audiences. Over the next three years, Shanghai is poised to welcome numerous prestigious events to its stage, including the 2024 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, the 2025 World Rowing Championships, and the 2026 Track World Championships. These events affirm our commitment to fostering a vibrant event culture and further cement Shanghai’s status as a global sports event destination.In addition, three more events will be held in Shanghai:1. Olympic Qualifier Series in ShanghaiIn February of this year, Shanghai formally submitted a bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host one of the events in the Olympic Qualifier Series. This series includes four sports: freestyle BMX, skateboarding, breakdancing, and rock climbing. By mid-June, Shanghai had completed all the required application procedures. Recently, the IOC officially confirmed that Shanghai would indeed be one of the host cities for the Olympic Qualifier Series. The competition is scheduled to take place along the Huangpu Binjiang in Shanghai, from May 16 to 19, 2024.Shanghai's choice to utilize existing riverside venues for hosting the Olympic Qualifier Series aligns with a sustainable approach. It signifies a transition from “big development” to “grand opening-up,” emphasizing the city’s commitment to creating a more open, inclusive, and shared sports environment for its citizens. This initiative aims to foster a sports-friendly atmosphere where individuals can not only engage in sports but also socialize and bask in the lush greenery. The riverside space chosen for this event embodies a unique blend of strength, speed, and warmth, making it a truly charming location for such a prestigious sporting event.2. International Festival of Extreme Sports: Shanghai will continue to hold emerging events along the Huangpu River, and has successfully introduced the internationally renowned extreme sports event “FISE International Festival of Extreme Sports.” In October 2024, the Shanghai Station of the FISE World Tour will be held on the West Bund This event originated in the southern French city of Montpellier in 1997. It is not only an extreme sports carnival, but also a palace event in the hearts of many athletes.3. Tour of Shanghai New Cities: In the upcoming year, an exciting independent brand event is set to captivate enthusiasts and athletes alike. Scheduled for late September 2024, the Tour of Shanghai New Cities promises to be a trailblazing affair, with a primary focus on the world of cycling and road racing. The event plans to extend invitations to approximately 22 teams from across the globe, fostering a spirited atmosphere of competition. This gathering will feature both a professional team competition and an amateur category. Within three days, the cycling route will wind its way through five of Shanghai’s burgeoning new cities: Jiading, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian, and Nanhui. Beyond the exhilarating races, the Tour of Shanghai New Cities aspires to serve as a canvas, vividly depicting the cultural tapestry and natural beauty woven along the contours of these new urban landscapes. It seeks to promote the growth and transformation of these new cities while simultaneously creating a fresh and invigorating backdrop for the sport of cycling. By doing so, it paves the way for new opportunities in the realm of green and environmentally friendly cycling.As we look ahead, Shanghai remains unwavering in its commitment to realizing the goals set in the Outline. The city will continue to foster a new era of development within its sports industry. With steadfast determination, Shanghai is poised to step up efforts towards the ambition of becoming a world-known sports city.