Sports discussed as a force in rural revitalization at Two Sessions

BEIJING -- In 2023, a series of rural sports tournaments, including the Village Basketball Competition (VBC), Village Super League (VSL), and Village Volleyball Tournament (VVT), became popular in China and advanced rural revitalization. These contributions have been a hot topic of discussion during the ongoing annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body.

The second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opened in Beijing on March 5 and 4, respectively.

Tang Yueqiang, an NPC deputy and director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province, observed that Taijiang, where the VBC was held, received 2,891,400 tourists in 2023, marking a year-on-year increase of 74.87%.

The county's tourism income reached 3.333 billion yuan (around 463 million U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 94.66%. Rongjiang, where the VSL was held, welcomed 7,608,500 tourists, up 52.16% year-on-year. Its tourism income surpassed 8.389 billion yuan (around 1,165 million U.S. dollars), up 73.94% year-on-year.

"The VBC and VSL have evolved into new engines for rural revitalization and regional development," remarked Tang.

Bao Mingxiao, a CPPCC member and professor at Beijing Sport University, emphasized that the multifunctionality highlighted by rural sports tournaments is an important indicator in establishing China as a leading sporting nation and infusing more energy into Chinese society.

"We hope that sports will play a greater role in promoting economic, social, and comprehensive personal development, which is a new task and goal to be pursued in the process of building a leading sporting nation," expressed Bao.

"These tournaments are not solely sports activities but also important platforms for activating communities and promoting regional development, thus expanding their significance," he added.

Because rural sports serve diverse functions, some NPC deputies and CPPCC members expressed hopes that governments, especially those at the county level, would better develop rural sports competitions based on their own resources and promote the integration of culture and sports.

"The vigorous development of rural tournaments demonstrates that people's demand for fitness and sports facilities has shifted from quantity-oriented to quality-oriented," stated Ding Yalin, a CPPCC member and deputy director of Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau.

"We should offer more public services for rural areas and attract more people to participate in sports," she added.

Bao suggested that Taijiang and Rongjiang consider deepening interactions with urban areas to ensure the sustainability of their village competitions.

"The in-depth interactions between these two areas could drive the sales of agricultural and sideline products, enhance the spread of tournament brands, and promote greater tourism consumption, thus fostering sustainable development," Bao added.