Sport in China

Sports in China consists of a variety of competitive sports. Traditional Chinese culture regards physical fitness as an important characteristic. China has its own national quadrennial multi-sport event similar to the Olympic Games called the National Games.

Sports in China has long been associated with the martial arts. Before the 1980s, the country's international sports success was mainly in table tennis.^[1] This changed with the 1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup where the Chinese team won the gold medal amid enormous public attention.^[1]

Prior to the 1990s, sports were entirely funded by the government.^[2][3][4] In 1994, Chinese association football was professionalized, followed by basketball, volleyball, ping pong, and weiqi. Professionalization led to commercialization; this meant that sports associations became profit-making entities and that a club system and professional sports leagues were formed. Chinese athletes have also begun joining professional leagues abroad, such as basketball player Yao Ming's entry into the United States' NBA in the 2002 draft.^[5]

China led the gold medal count (48) at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.^[6] China hosted the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics from August 16 to 28, 2014. Beijing was the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Doping in China has focused on swimmers and track and field athletes, such as those taught by Ma Junren (the Ma Family Army). Three Chinese weightlifters were stripped of their gold Olympic medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics for doping. China's doping has been attributed to a number of factors, such as the exchange of culture and technology with foreign countries. Some commentators have compared it to doping in East Germany. Discussion of doping scandals involving Chinese athletes in international sports is widely censored in China.