The sports programs and sporting industry in Fujian are growing in tandem with a rapid, steady, healthy and sustainable economic development, scoring laudable achievements in the areas of competitive sport games, foreign affairs, and public fitness campaign. It has opened up a whole new area of developing sports programs along with sporting industries which is unique and Fujian-like.

　　Remarkable Game Scores. In July 1952 Fujian swimmer Wu Chuanyu took part in the XVth Olympic Games, leaving the first score record for People's Republic of China (PRC) in the Olympic Games, and in August 1953, he won gold in the 100-meter backstroke at Romania World Youth Sports Games, the first gold medal from international competition for the PRC. In 1957, all records kept by Fujian athletes in the Republic of China were broken by those of the PRC. In 1965, Xin Cailing, a parachuter, became the first Fujian athlete who broke a world record. In the 1960s, Ni Zhiqin, a noted Fujian field athlete, made national high jump record for 13 times, and broke the world record once. In 2007, Fujian athletes got good scores with seven grabbing six golds in world competitions, three winning four golds in Asian events, and two breaking Asian records for three times. In the past Olympic Games, they harvested four golds. Currently, the number of Fujian athletes and coaches in the national teams is close to 120, a record high. Fujian is targeting at the golds of the six games in 2008 Beijing Olympics including weightlifting, women's volleyball, martial arts, trampoline, shooting, and badminton.

　　For decades, there emerged a large group of athletic talents in Fujian such as the Olympic champions Hou Yuzhu, Zheng Meizhu (women volleyball players, 1984), Ji Xinpeng (badminton player, 2000), Shi Zhiyong (weight-lifter, 2004), volleyball star Wang Jiawei, noted swimmer Qi Hui, world badminton champions Lin Dan and Chen Hong, national women's volleyball coach Chen Zhonghe, " Titan" basketball player Liu Yudong, etc. Asian Games' women's trampoline individual gold medalist Huang Shanchan and triple jumper Xie Limei are aiming at gold in Beijing Olympic Games. And both the shooter Xu Haifeng, who is China's first Olympic gold medalist, and Olympic weightlifting champion Zhang Guozheng were also born in Fujian. Moreover, Fujian has trained many excellent sports teams such as men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. Over the past 50 years they have been making laudable records. Now they are still competing in best league matches in China.

　　Big sport events in succession. Since 1952, Fujian Provincial Sports Meeting has been held for 13 times successfully. The 13th Provincial Sports Meeting, held in Longyan 2006, attracted about 8,000 athletes, referees, and service people. It set up juvenile category including 25 items and sectoral category of 12 items, a record high in terms of its participants and the number of Senior Citizens. This Sports Meetingh has been held once every three years since 1987. 2006 saw its 7th session. The Provincial Farmers' Sports Meeting, a quadrennial event, has been held for six times since 1988. Xiamen International Marathon Race, sponsored jointly by the China Track & Field Association and Xiamen Municipal Government, has been held annually for six times since 2003. The one in January 2008 attracted 30,000 odd participants. The 6th National Farmers' Sports Meeting will be organized in October 2008 in Quanzhou. This is the first time Fujian hosts a comprehensive sports game, which includes 15 major games such as track and field, swimming, basketball, etc. It will lure about 40,000 participants from 32 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in mainland, and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

　　Sports industry in dramatic growth. The sports industry including competitive performances and recreational sports is making big strides forward, illustrating a good prospect. South Shaolin School of Martial Arts Contest becomes Fujian's signature game. Meanwhile, sporting goods made in Fujian are well received throughout the country. Brands such as Anta, 361°, Tebu, Peak are among the top brands or trademarks in China. In Jinjiang, a national sports industry base, there are 3,000 plus sporting goods manufacturers, selling sports shoes, clothes or apparatus to over 150 countries and regions, generating an annual output of RMB 27.9 billion. Raw materials for world brands are processed here in Fujian. For example, one of six pairs of Nike shoes is made by Taiwan invested shoe makers in Putian. Sports lottery is also developing in sound momentum, turning into No.1 contributor to this industry. In the past 15 years, it has issued lotteries worth about RMB 16.3 billion, collecting roughly RMB 5.49 billion for public-interest programs.

　　Sports infrastructure is improving. The constructions of large Sports Facilities such as Fujian Sports Center, Fujian Gymnasium &Aquatic Facility and Fujian Sports Center accommodating seniors have been built in succession. In the seven years preceding 2004, Fujian invested RMB 6.6 billion to upgrade sporting facilities. A number of Recreation Centers and Sports Facilities have been built including Quanzhou Sports Center accommodating Overseas Chinese, Xiamen Jiageng Gymnasium, Longyan Sports Park, Ningde Sports Center, etc. The main venue for the 6th National Farmers' Sports Meeting- the Straits Sports Stadium- is to be completed soon which covers 700 mu and costs RMB 1.1 billion. Currently, the province boasts 30,038 sport venues with 16,342 standard ones and 13,696 non-standard ones. It occupies a total area of 411,700 sq. mu. In addition, there're many national training bases in Fujian such as national women's volleyball training base in Zhangzhou, table tennis training base in Xiamen, weightlifting training base in Majiang, and badminton training base in Jinjiang.

　　Frequent contacts and communications with other countries. Fujian keeps frequent contacts in sports circle with nearly 100 countries and regions. Every year the number of overseas sports groups visiting Fujian and Fujian sports teams traveling abroad totals more than 30. Since 1965, Fujian coaches have taken overseas teaching positions in items such as volleyball, table tennis, and martial arts, which are Fujian's strength. Communications in sports between Fujian and Taiwan also witness fast development. In 1992, Taiwan sent a team to take part in Asian Weightlifting Tournament in Fuzhou. In 1995 Fujian Dragon Boat Team visited Taiwan for the first time, and took part in Cross-Straits Dragon Boat Race in Taiwan for five straight times. From 1995 to 2002, 237 people got the opportunity to visit Taiwan. In 2006, a Fujian Sports Delegation made first visit to Kinmen. Fruitful exchanges like this between Fujian and Taiwan is growthing rapidly. In order to promote South Shaolin School of Martial Arts, Quanzhou often sponsors competitions, which have attracted visitors all over the world including people from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. People in Quanzhou's martial arts circle have connections with over 40 overseas counterparts.

　　（Editor:ShenJiaju）