China to increase sports facilities

Under the plan drafted by the National Development and Reforms Commission and the General Administration of Sport, China will construct more public sports facilities in the next three years to guarantee people the right to take exercise and encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle, Xinhua reported.

The central government will earmark funds each year to ensure that each county with suitable conditions builds a stadium, and half of all cities or regions of the same administrative level have indoor sports centres designed for residents of all ages, says the plan released Monday.

China will also continue to provide sports facilities for residents in its central and western regions, and support villages in those areas so that each can build a hard court for basketball and two outdoor ping pong tables, it added.

China now has more than a million sports venues of all kinds, official data has showed.