Is Todays China a Sports Power?

The Sick man of China is a name that has long haunted the
Chinese government. It is the driving force of Chinas attempt to
emerge as a global sports power. Since recent internationalisation
has introduced western sports into Chinas popular culture, sports
have been deemed as a representation of a countrys national
strength. Being a sports power would display a countrys economic,
cultural, and diplomatic position in the world. Chinas hunger for
validation from other nations birthed its determination to gain as
many gold medals as possible in the Olympic Games. As Deng
Xiaoping remarked, Now it looks like the impact and influence of
sports are so great that they reflect a countrys economy and
civilization. They attract and inspire so many people. We need to
improve our sports.1 Since then, the Chinese government has
moved valuable resources to improve Chinas sports development
and to become an influential sports power. In this essay, I will
examine the definition of a sports power and whether China is able
to live up to its expectations.

After having won 51 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic

games2, surpassing United States, China has demonstrated to the
world its ability to become a sports powerhouse. In the 2012 London
Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics, China seconded in the

medal count table, proving its proficiency in a large range of sports.

Judging by the overall medal tables of the 2008 Beijing Olympics,
China seems to be on par with the US team in terms of numbers.
However, as we place them under scrutiny, we should be able to
spot the vast difference between their
winning sport categories. It is apparent that Chinas forte lies on
sports such as diving, table tennis, gymnastics, weightlifting, etc 3.
1.
2.

Xu, Guoqi. "China Awakens: The Post-Mao Era." In Olympic dreams China and sports, 1895-2008. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 2008. 216.
"Beijing 2008 Olympics News, results, photos, video, features - China.org.cn." Beijing 2008 Olympics News, results, photos,
video, features - China.org.cn. http://www.china.org.cn/olympic/node_1114380.htm (accessed February 25, 2014).

China indeed struck gold in a diverse range of sports whereas the

US thrived in track and field, swimming, basketball and football 4.
Should we praise China for its critically acclaimed success in a
diverse yet uncommon selection of sports? Chinas excel in these
sports was due to meticulous planning under a system called the
elite sport system. They target sports not all countries participate in
such as weightlifting, archery or diving, those of which that very few
people practice in actuality. By doing so, China is able to enhance its
chance of attaining gold medals. However, in competitive sports
such as track and field and basketball, China failed to gain the same
level of success. In fact, Chinas level in those sports is far behind
the United States. Such competitive yet popular sports are the most
politically influential, being watched and loved by millions. Chinas
incompetency in these areas does pose as a hurdle in proving China
a sports power. To become a sports powerhouse, China should exert

more effort in improving its level of international sports as to

increase its political influence in the world.

To elaborate on the elite sports program5, it is designed to raise

children as professional athletes, with training starting early on from
childhood. Sport schools are built to drill children into becoming the
next gold medallist. It consists of intensive physical training as much
as thirty hours a week6, which may be detrimental to the athletes
mental or physical health. Although it is a price they are willing to
pay to bring national honour, given that their motto is Develop Elite
Sports and Make China a Superpower in the World 7. This mind-set
has been strongly engrained in these athletes heads, having to
bear responsibility for the entire nation. This is not to mention that
students at these sports school sacrifice their personal freedom and
part of basic human rights to train without free will. This begs the
question whether China is truly a sports power when the athletes
dont even get to exercise free will. In a nutshell, sports are used to
promote physical and mental wellbeing. At the mean time, the
central government seems to hold power over athletes while those
athletes have none. When Chinas gold medal strategy does not
seem to embed the core principal of sports, how can China be called
a sports power? While sports schools students have the privilege
to undergo harsh physical training, mass physical education for the
rest of the nation receive much less attention. In emphasising the
importance of the elite sports system, the Chinese government

invested valuable resources in elite sports training while retaining

less for mass physical education. In 2004, the central government
spent 5 billion Yuan on sports, with most of it spent on elite sports.
The extra award they grant to athletes with medals earned has
increased to 200,000 Yuan per gold medal8. The opportunity cost of
such investment may be the facilities, teachers and planning put
3. ""Medallist CHN - China." Competition Information.
http://web.archive.org/web/20081001000435/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/CHN_T.shtml (accessed
February 26, 2014).
4. "Medallists USA - United States." Competition Information.
http://web.archive.org/web/20081001000500/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/USA_T.shtml (accessed
February 26, 2014).
5. Lu, Zhouxiang, and Fan Hong. "The Dream to Be a Strong Country." In Sport and Nationalism in China. Hoboken: Taylor and
Francis, 2013. 103-104.
6. Deutsch, Robert. "Elite Chinese athletes train under strict rules - USATODAY.com." Elite Chinese athletes train under strict
rules - USATODAY.com. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/2008-08-19-china-athletes_N.htm (accessed
February 25, 2014).

into the general physical education. As a recent report mentioned,

No wonder the students health deteriorates when the budget for

physical education per capita is less than three Yuan. 9 As a result,

the obesity rate of China has been increasing as physical activity is
on the decline. A research has proven that only 49.2% of the adults
aged from 20-69 has exercised in the past year 10. This result is
shockingly low in contrast to students at sport schools or national
teams.

7. Lu, Zhouxiang, and Fan Hong. "The Dream to Be a Strong Country." In Sport and Nationalism in China. Hoboken:
Taylor and Francis, 2013. 104.
8. Xu, Guoqi. "China Awakens: The Post-Mao Era." In Olympic dreams China and sports, 1895-2008. Cambridge,
Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2008. 219.
9. Xu, Guoqi. "Notes." In Olympic dreams China and sports, 1895-2008. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University
Press, 2008. 320.
10. Xiaochen, Sun, and Lei Lei. "Most Viewed." Obesity rate on the increase|Society|chinadaily.com.cn.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-08/06/content_16872878.htm (accessed February 25, 2014).

To determine a sports power, it is necessary to consider the general

physical wellbeing and activity of the nation. A small proportion of
athletes who excel in sports should not be the representation of the
nations physique. Accounting for the nations physical ability, China
seems to lag behind quite a few of Western countries. This implies
that funding is much needed in sports for the general public than
the elites. As a result, has the title the sick man of China been
fully abolished is still in question. To judge whether China is a sports
power, we should also examine the physicality of the nation as a
whole.

Another index we should look at is the sports culture of a country as

well as its economic and social impact it has internationally. The
United States has invented a worldwide industry revolving around
sports. It has generated billions of dollars selling sports products,
receiving sponsorship for sport events, creating influential sports
brands, etc. The economical and cultural power United States has
over China is evident. Its sports culture is so developed that it is
able to exude influence on people all over the world. In China, sports
culture still has a long way to go while many students sole objective
is to achieve academic excellence. Chinas sport industry is still at a
ripening stage especially when only a handful of athletes gained
international recognition. To develop Chinas sport industry, it can
increase its level of visibility in the world to gain sponsorship or to
create renowned brands or enterprises. This should expand Chinas

economic control in the global sports market, making it even a

stronger opponent against the United States.

Sports culture has more than one interpretation. To analyse Chinas

sports

culture,

we

must

reference

football.

Football

is

an

internationally recognised sport favoured by many Chinese. It is due

to its mass popularity that began the match fixing, gambling,
bribing in Chinese football. How can China be a sports power when it
cant even abide the basic regulation of sports? This is a glimpse of
Chinas internal politics and it is in need of reform. How China
manipulates football matches indirectly disturbs its diplomatic
relations with other countries, hence weakening its political control.
Furthermore, Chinas current ranking in the FIFA World Cup, 88,
illustrates its incompetency in this international market. Football
owned 49% of the total shares in the worldwide sports events
market in 200911, asserting its place as the king of sports. Yet China
falls behind on such a major sport event does prevent it from
entering this billion-dollar industry. All in all, China is underfunding
major competitive sports that can potentially elevate Chinas
competitiveness.

In comparison to the United States, China has much development to

be made. However, consider Chinas performance at the 1932 Los
Angeles Olympics, Chinas rapid progress is undeniable. Whether
China is the next sports powerhouse depends on its sports and
political reforms. Having such reforms in place would greatly
improve Chinese sports ethics and Chinas diplomatic relations.
Gaining gold medals in the Olympics is only one of the criterions

that make a country a sports power. With China overlooking the

other aspects, it is difficult to climb up this ladder of sports
sovereignty. At the current moment, calling China a sports power is
not yet justifiable. But as with

11. "The Sports Market." atkearney.com.

http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/the-sports-market/10192 (accessed
February 23, 2014).

internationalisation of China, it is slowly recognising the importance

of mass physical education, taking another step to being the next
sports powerhouse.

Reference
1. Xu, Guoqi. "China Awakens: The Post-Mao Era." In Olympic dreams
China and sports, 1895-2008. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University
Press, 2008. 216.
2. "Beijing 2008 Olympics News, results, photos, video, features China.org.cn." Beijing 2008 Olympics News, results, photos, video,
features - China.org.cn.
http://www.china.org.cn/olympic/node_1114380.htm (accessed
February 25, 2014).
3. ""Medallist CHN - China." Competition Information.
http://web.archive.org/web/20081001000435/http://results.beijing2008.
cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/CHN_T.shtml (accessed February 26, 2014).
4. "Medallists USA - United States." Competition Information.
http://web.archive.org/web/20081001000500/http://results.beijing2008.
cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/92A/USA_T.shtml (accessed February 26, 2014).
5. Lu, Zhouxiang, and Fan Hong. "The Dream to Be a Strong Country." In
Sport and Nationalism in China. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2013.
103-104.
6. Deutsch, Robert. "Elite Chinese athletes train under strict rules USATODAY.com." Elite Chinese athletes train under strict rules USATODAY.com.
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/2008-08-19china-athletes_N.htm (accessed February 25, 2014).
7. Lu, Zhouxiang, and Fan Hong. "The Dream to Be a Strong Country." In
Sport and Nationalism in China. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2013.
104.
8. Xu, Guoqi. "China Awakens: The Post-Mao Era." In Olympic dreams
China and sports, 1895-2008. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press,
2008. 219.
9. Xu, Guoqi. "Notes." In Olympic dreams China and sports, 1895-2008.
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2008. 320.
10.Xiaochen, Sun, and Lei Lei. "Most Viewed." Obesity rate on the
increase|Society|chinadaily.com.cn.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-08/06/content_16872878.htm
(accessed February 25, 2014).
11. "The Sports Market." atkearney.com.
http://www.atkearney.com/paper/-/asset_publisher/dVxv4Hz2h8bS/content/
the-sports-market/10192 (accessed February 23, 2014).