Page 8 August 22, 2014 NANJING 2014 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES AROUND NANJING Important sports centers and events in Nanjing’s districts

LISHUI DISTRICT

The district has established a kart training center and a large-scale train- ing center for residents. The Wanchi Kart Training Center provides professional training. It also holds summer and winter camps for teenagers and aims to promote karting among the young. The district also established a sports park in 2011. Many national basketball games have been held at the venue. The district also has established fi ve centers to produce soccer, basketball, badminton shuttlecocks, rubber balls and amusement park equipment. One of the enterprises in the centers pro- duce badminton shuttlecocks among the fi nest in the world. More than 3,000 people work for the seven sports enterprises in the district. The total sales of the enterprises have reached 600 million yuan.

Fun and games in the city JIANYE DISTRICT The district, where most of the Youth By Qin Aohui Olympic Games competitions are being held, has an international exhibition The city of Nanjing has invested heavily center that occupies an area of 360,000 in building playgrounds and sports centers square meters. for its residents in recent years. The center is the venue for the box- The city now boasts more than 9,100 ing, taekwondo, fencing and weightlif- playgrounds covering about 16 million ing competitions for professional ath- square meters. All of its 112 communities letes as well as common folk. It is also and townships have established their own equipped with professional doping test sports centers to provide fi tness facilities. equipment. More than 206,000 trainers and volun- The district’s Longjiang Stadium, teers provide advice and help to residents which is 12.7 kilometers away from the as they strive to keep fi t, which means that Olympic Village, provides a convenient for every 10,000 residents in the city there training venue to locals. are about 20 trainers. It occupies an area of 25,000 square The local government said it has endeav- meters and provides excellent play- ored to provide convenient sports centers grounds for badminton and ping-pong within 10 minutes’ walk in each commu- enthusiasts. More than 300,000 people nity. play in the stadium’s badminton center “By the end of 2013, 70 percent of the every year. sports centers were established in the Government statistics show that more audience the beauty of dance. The stadium also provides a tennis city’s urban area,” said Yin Baolin, director than a million people participate in the To attract younger spectators, the compe- center. It features 11 professional play- of Nanjing’s sports bureau. “By 2015, every events every year. titions, which used to be broadcast on TV, grounds, a VIP lounge and restaurant. community will have sports centers that About 100,000 residents take part in are now shown on the Internet. are within a 10-minute walk. long-distance race, which has been staged Nanjing also holds many activities for PUKOU DISTRICT “Many sports centers, for example the for 31 years. local farmers. Wutaishan Stadium, provide free equip- On “Walking Day”, which has been held Since 2009, a series of activities have ment and playgrounds for people. We hope for 12 years, the participants enjoy beautiful been held in seven rural communities and The district provides venues for the they make good use of those centers to scenery while strolling along the ancient city more than 20,000 people have taken part. country’s mountain biking fans. In the exercise better and improve their health.” wall and through the Xuanwu Lake Park. Also, according to local government, Laoshan National Forestry Park, moun- The city also holds more than 1,000 Also, the city has more than 100 qigong every year more than 10,000 residents tain biking tracks that span 15 kilome- competitions, of which 400 are large-scale centers, in which experts teach people how receive physical examinations for free. ters have been laid out, of which fi ve events, for its inhabitants every year. They deep-breathing exercises for free. The local government said it allocates kilometers are for amateurs. include a long-distance race during the In the yearly dance competition, which at least 50 million yuan ($8.12 million) to The Laoshan National Forestry Park new year’s festival, a bodybuilding com- has been held for more than 10 years, about sports a year to support its development occupies an area of 80 square kilome- petition on Aug 8 and a “Walking Day” in 1,000 enthusiasts from around the coun- and that more can be expected in the ters, 80 percent of which is covered by September. try compete with each other and show the future. forest.