The State Council on June 23 printed and distributed the National Fitness Program (2016-2020), proposing to have 1.5 trillion yuan consumed for sports by 2020. National fitness becomes a momentum in advancing development of the sports industry, boosting domestic demand and forming new economic growth points.
Tasks including speeding up the development of football and winter sports are set in the program too. It is proposed to expand the supply of football grounds, make the construction of football grounds covered in the overall planning of urbanization and new rural area, and suit the measures to local conditions while encouraging social force to build small and diversified football grounds. Plan the construction of grounds and facilities for national fitness as a whole and make it convenient for people to take exercise; advance the construction of public sports facilities, build three-level (county-town-administrative village) fitness facilities network and 15-min fitness circle in urban communities, and make the area of sports grounds per capita reach 1.8 square meters. Perfect the policies for free or low-charge access to large sports venues, and work out policies encouraging free or low-charge access to small and medium-sized ones.
As to capital investment, it is proposed in the program to establish diversified financing mechanism, improve guidance policies for investment and financing, and advance the implementation of various preferential policies. Local governments above county level should cover the expenditures for national fitness into financial budget, and step up the investment along with the development of national economy. A certain size of financial funds with public welfare fund from lottery included should be allocated to the field. Ways like establishing special investment fund for building sports grounds and facilities, service purchasing by governments and etc. should be adopted to encourage social force into the investment in sports grounds and facilities as well as support people’s consumption in fitness.
The emerging supporting policies constantly inject development opportunities to China’s sports industry. It is foreseeable that the sports industry will be favored by Chinese capitals in a certain period. Industry insiders indicate that there are lots of investment opportunities in each link of the sports industrial chain, such as the sports trainings for teenagers, the construction and running of sports venues, the operation of sports events, the rebroadcasting, live broadcasting and interaction of sports events, sports brokerage and sports derivatives. The governments will grant the sports industry with more attention and support during the 13th five-year plan period, bringing sound development opportunities to the sports industry.
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