On March 25, 2014, a delegation led by Giuseppe Colombano, President of the International Federation of Popular Sports (hereinafter referred to as IVV), arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport to officially begin a one-week visit focused on group sports in China. In Beijing, the delegation held meetings and exchanges with the Beijing Olympic City Development Promotion Association (hereinafter referred to as the Beijing OCPDA) and the General Administration of Sport of China.
On the afternoon of March 26, after concluding a field inspection of the IVV International Hiking Trail in Pinggu District, the IVV delegation visited the National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) and the National Aquatics Center (Water Cube). They also met with Jiang Xiaoyu, Vice President of the Beijing OCPDA, and accompanying staff. Jiang gained an in-depth understanding of the International Federation of Popular Sports, particularly the operational model, funding sources, and scale of the International Popular Olympic Games (the 14th edition of which will be held in Chengdu in late September 2015). Jiang stated that the International Popular Olympic Games hosted by IVV and the Chengdu municipal government will serve as an excellent reference for future government-organized public events. He expressed hope to work more closely with IVV and its China office—the China Headquarters of the International Federation of Popular Sports (hereinafter referred to as CVA)—to better promote national fitness activities.
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On the afternoon of the 27th, after a brief meeting with the Beijing University Sports Association, the IVV delegation flew to Chengdu to continue their exploration of citizen sports in China. Before leaving Beijing, during a working session with CVA Secretary-General Jin Qiao, the delegation gave high praise to the outcomes of the visit. The IVV Secretary-General noted that although they had only stayed in Beijing for two days, through exchanges with both the Chinese government and NGOs, they not only witnessed the enthusiasm of Chinese citizens for sports but also felt the government’s strong emphasis on group sports. It is foreseeable that in the near future, China will rapidly develop into an outdoor powerhouse. To this end, IVV itself will place greater importance on the Chinese market.
With government guidance, the experience of civil organizations, and the enthusiasm of citizens, we have every reason to expect that China is ready to take flight toward becoming an outdoor powerhouse.
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