Winter Olympics: how China is trying to make winter sports less elitist ahead of Beijing Games
- Chinese President Xi Jinping says Olympics mark opportunity to develop winter sports across society, from rich to poor
- But ‘bigger agenda’ could be to create pool of talent to win medals for China according to sports business expert
While unveiling plans for the Winter Olympics this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping said the event marked an opportunity to develop winter sports across Chinese society, from rich or poor.
“The enthusiasm brought about by Beijing 2022 should be maintained to promote the sustainable development of winter sports at both elite and grass roots levels,” Xi said, quoted in People’s Daily, the official mouthpiece of China’s Communist Party.
The goal to increase “grass roots” involvement in winter sports may seem surprising precisely because these activities are known to be expensive. Purchasing the necessary equipment, along with travel costs and training lessons, is often out of reach for those with lower incomes.
Research conducted by Beijing Daily placed the cost of buying beginner’s snowboarding equipment – such as a snowboard, snowboard boots, and a helmet – between 3,000 and 40,000 yuan (US$6,300). In the same year, the per capita disposable income of residents in the country was 17,642 yuan, according to government figures.
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Final preparations under way for artificial snow production at Beijing Winter Olympics
From educating students about winter sports to supporting the development of ice skating rinks, China has led a variety of initiatives for snow sports to become more accessible to the general public, though some have questioned the usefulness of these efforts.
