China Has Issued the Document Guiding Opinions on Promoting Rural Revitalization Through Sports (Part 1)

▲A village volleyball tournament will run until Friday in Hainan province. [China Daily]

The document Guiding Opinions on Promoting Rural Revitalization Through Sports was jointly issued by twelve government departments in China recently. The document has three parts, including main objectives, key measures, and implementation guarantee. 

1. Main Objectives.

By 2025, a comprehensive policy and work mechanism will be established to promote rural revitalization through sports, and the public service system for fitness in rural areas will be further improved. A number of exemplary cases where sports can help rural revitalization will be created, and the effects of sports on rural economic and social development will be evident. 

By 2035, a public service system for fitness that is compatible with a modern socialist country will be fully established in rural areas, and sports and leisure will become a common way of life in the countryside. The role of sports in promoting health will be highlighted, the development of the rural sports industry will become more vibrant, and the rural sports culture will be more prosperous. 

2. Enhancing the Development of Public Service System for Fitness and Improving the Rural Public Service.

2.1 Promoting a balanced layout of urban and rural public service resources for fitness. 

Implementing the national basic public service standards for fitness. Insist on continuously optimizing the functional layout of fitness facilities in urban and rural areas, and improve the public service network for fitness in rural areas. Improve the fitness environment in rural areas, in terms of providing increased support for public fitness services and continuously increasing the supply of fitness services to benefit the public. Advance the "Four Public-interest Programs" for rural sports in the new era, that is, providing fitness venues, fitness organizations, sports events, and fitness guidance in the countryside. 

2.2 Improving national fitness facilities in villages.

Implement a special action to upgrade rural public fitness facilities, improve fitness facilities in rural areas and strengthen the maintenance, renewal, and upgrading of rural public fitness equipment to support the qualified villages to improve the quality of public fitness facilities. Promoting the formulation of standards for the allocation of public fitness venues and equipment in rural areas and shore up shore up weak links in fitness facilities and equipment at the township-level (town), administrative village-level (community) according to the standards, and improve the county-level sports and fitness facilities. Strengthen the construction of sports facilities of rural schools, and promoting the opening up of these facilities to villagers if conditions permit.

Panel 1 Special action to upgrade rural public fitness facilities

Strengthen the funding guarantee of basic public services for fitness to solve the deficiencies in public fitness facilities in rural areas. Make efforts to supply sports facilities and equipment in townships, and improve the maintenance and renewal of village-level public fitness facilities.   With the focus on the counties, support the construction or expansion of sports parks, public fitness centers, public stadiums, fitness trails, and other public fitness facilities to address the shortage of venues and facilities for activities like swimming. Actively promote free or low-cost access to county-level public stadiums and public fitness centers.  Incorporate rural sports instruction stations and various public fitness facilities into electronic maps and the information service platform, and utilize modern information technology to enhance the management and service levels of these facilities.

2.3 Expanding the scientific dissemination channels for public fitness. 

Scientifically lead the development of public fitness activities in rural areas, support the establishment of research institutions to leverage sports in rural revitalization, and carry out specialized research and promote the application of sports-driven rural revitalization. Compile and publish scientific guidance materials for rural sports. Strengthen the popularization of sports science in rural areas, promote fitness-related knowledge, organize lectures on the benefits of physical activity, advocate scientific and healthy lifestyles, and improve the sports science and cultural literacy of rural masses.

2.4 Launching fitness actions for health. 

Carry out widespread sports and health education activities to promote the expansion of integrated sports and healthcare services to the countryside, and support rural medical institutions in providing scientific fitness guidance. Implement the construction of sports and health centers, and build several sports and health centers through reconstruction and expansion. Optimize public physical fitness monitoring and scientific fitness guidance services. Give full play to the health-promoting role of sports, and foster the physical and mental health of school age children and elderly people in rural areas. 

Panel 2 Special action to build sports and health centers

With the counties as the pilot sites in rural areas, sports and health centers will be built to provide various services such as exercise monitoring, fitness instruction, sports rehabilitation, chronic disease intervention through exercise, sports nutrition, and health education to different people, and create a set of exemplary experiences that can be replicated and promoted in villages for laying a foundation for the widespread adoption of sports and health centers. 

Based on the achievements of the county-level pilot programs, combine efforts with the “Four Public-interest Programs” of rural sports, and gradually build sports and health centers in towns and villages.   

Sports and health centers can be built with the use of venues and facilities such as sports venues, fitness centers, community health service centers, facilities for elderly care, shopping centers, and old factories, etc. through reconstruction or functional upgrading to adapt to elderly-friendly utilization. And universities, communities, hospitals, businesses, and social organizations are encouraged to participate in this initiative.

Source:<https://www.sport.gov.cn/qts/n4986/c25730051/content.html>

Edited and Translated by Guo Xinxin